Journey to Freedom
by 0erbaDiaVanille
Summary: It was supposed to be a simple mission for Lightning. Save Cocoon and rescue Serah, yet as things start to slowly fall apart the pink-haired solder finds herself falling too... but not in a way she expected.. Spoilers from chapter 11. LightXVanille.
1. New Hardships Arrise

**Hey Everyone! **

**Well, im having a go at a Final Fantasy FF, i never imagined i would! Okay so this one is going to be a Vanille/Lightning eventually :D, i love those two and think they needed more interaction in the game. **

**Well, regradless, lets crack on and i hope you enjoy!  
**

**Xx**

* * *

The soft glow and crackle of the campfire was a soothing sound to their ears. It was a nice reprieve from the constant battles and the hardship they had all faced these past few weeks. The soft warmth of the flames washed over their features as they all sat in silence, their minds and bodies having a well earned break.

They had to camp somewhere, and here on the Archylte Steppe, nowhere was safe. Night time even made Fang and Vanille feel uneasy, it was hard for everyone to sleep knowing that monsters lurked around every corner, there was just so much space, little caves, rocks and hidden plains that held a danger that couldn't be overcome. It was lonely and isolated. Not a single person for miles and miles.

Lightning had volunteered herself to take the first shift, as usual. The pink haired soldier was always the first to take guard duty, she said she "lacked the will to rest" so everyone found it easier to just comply. They all knew that when Lightning had her mind made up there was no changing it. It would be a long and difficult journey and keeping the peace among the group might mean the difference between failing and succeeding.

Fang would take second and Snow had agreed to take third.

Fang sighed as she looked over at Vanille, she knew that the young girl was troubled by something, the smile she wore for everyone was so easily overlooked. She was holding more emotional weight on her shoulders than anyone. Yet no matter how hard she tried to hide it from the group. Fang could still see her inner battles through her false persona.

Vanille had wanted to take a watch shift, but Fang had quickly stopped her volunteering, the felt to protective over her to let her be in direct danger. Besides she needed to sleep.

"Get some rest everyone" Lightning suddenly said briskly, "If tomorrow is as tough as today has been. We will all need it." she automatically grabbed the Blazefire Sabre from its holster as she strode off to keep watch.

"That's easier said than done" Hope murmured to himself as he too raised his tired body off the floor and sought out a more comfortable spot that might allow for a few hours sleep.

"Good night everyone" Sazh murmured, dark circles under his eyes, and a streak of yellow popping back into his untamed hair giving a little 'kweh' to the group.

Vanille just smiled back at everyone and Fang gave a quiet nod in their direction. She yawned and stretched her arms out in front of her. All of the tension from gripping her weapon releasing from her shoulders and back this place had its way of weakening you, it really was survival of the fittest.

She slowly got to her feet and made her way to where the young redhead sat. Vanille was still staring into the flames. Her knees pulled tightly to her chest for comfort and warmth. Even though this place was scorching during the day, night brought with it bitter winds and icy fog.

Fang lowered herself down next to her and studied her features carefully. She had a lot on her mind, Fang knew because she did as well, this journey was tough on her, she could only imagine what it was like for Vanille and if they were the same Fang knew she was nervous about going home. To Oerba.

Vanille was grateful for Fangs presence. It made all of this nightmare seem more bearable, having someone familiar to spend your time with. When she and Fang had been separated she had felt lost. Both physically and emotionally.

She closed her eyes and rested her head on fangs shoulder, leaning back against her she felt sleep overcome her worn out, aching body.

Fang knew she had fallen asleep, her small frame had become slightly heavier and her breaths more even and relaxed. She looked down at Vanille and felt a pang of guilt. This was a lot for the young girl to deal with and she was beginning to let it show. She wrapped her arms around her small frame and realised how cold the young girl was. She clutched tighter and allowed her body heat to pass from one to the other. Smiling she too closed her eyes.

Snow looked over at the two women, feeling a pang of sadness as he looked at what he was missing. Serah should be here. With him. He looked down at the teardrop and half smiled. She would be soon, he was certain of that. And he would do anything to get her back.

He looked up at Lightning, she was stood her head held high and her weapon drawn, half leaning against the trunk of a tree but not relaxing. She never relaxed. Life to Lightning was a constant struggle, if you let your guard down you die. End of that. But he could also see that her features had softened. She was no longer the hard soldier he had first known. She was a genuine person, kind hearted under the persona she applied for everyone to see. Its what kept them together. That's why Snow knew she was acknowledged the leader, she did everything with everyone else in mind.

Her shift passed relatively quickly. Looking back towards the camp she could see Snow laid at the base of his rock, snoring loudly.

'Tsk' she whispered to herself. "As usual!" she looked around and smiled at Hope, he was always able to sleep. It amazed her how resilient the young boy was. The journey he had come on really had defined him as a man and not just as a child.

Then there was Fang and Vanille. She almost didn't have the heart to wake Fang for watch. They were sleeping so peacefully, she knew that Vanille has had it rough and the worry even showed on her face when she was asleep. She was clutching to Fang like she would fade away at any moment.

She raised herself from the spot she had sat for the past three hours and stretched her stiff muscles to try and get them motivated. Walking to the eldest of the two women she lightly shook her awake.

"Fang" she whispered. "Its your turn for watch"

"Hmmm," Fang grumbled. "Okay, okay. I'm up" She stretched yawning and slowly prised Vanille's hands from around her arm.

"Just do me a favour Light, and sit with her for a while?" she asked.

Lightning sighed. She supposed sleeping here was as good as anywhere and she nodded her answer, not speaking.

Fang left her to sleep as she took up guard.

* * *

"Aren't you supposed to be watching?" a soft voice sounded next to her ear. Followed by a little giggle.

Vanille.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Fang responded opening her eyes and looking up at her friend. Damn she didn't even remember closing her eyes!

"I think watching is more important!" Vanille piped up as she sat herself next to her friend. "Anything might attack"

"Yeah, yeah. I'm tired that's all" Fang shot back playfully.

"Well then let me take watch" Vanille replied merrily.

"Not a chance sunshine!" Fang laughed. "Tell you what you can sit here with me and sleep if you like"

"No, I'm not tired, but I tell you what, ill poke you every time you fall asleep, got it?" Vanille laughed back.

Fang sighed, there was just sometimes no arguing with this girl!

"Okay, but you see anything, you run to the others" Fang replied sternly.

"I'm tougher than you give me credit for Fang"

"I know, but id rather you safe."

"I will be" Vanille whispered. "I've got you looking out for me, that all the protection I need" She smiled up at her lifelong friend and felt a surge of happiness that they were nearly home, just like it used to be.

"Y'know Vanille?" Fang whispered looking up at the dark sky. "Oerba might not be like we remember, a lot of time has passed."

"I know Fang why?"

"I just don't want you to get your hopes up, okay?"

Vanille nodded.

"I'm ready to see it, even if it isn't what it used to be. It will still be our home. There is too many memories there to simply forget about it." She closed her eyes and let the cool wind blow across her face.

"Besides. If finding a way of saving cocoon and getting rid of these brands is in Oerba, we have to go anyway" Se sighed. Opening her eyes again she glanced over at Fang. Smiling to herself she saw the older woman was fast asleep. Everybody neglected how tired Fang really was, she was always the tough one. Doing everything for her friends and not for herself.

"Oh well" Vanille whispered. "Let me watch over you for a while"

* * *

"Wake up!" a voice was screaming at her from further afar, it was a voice she recognised they sounded like they were in trouble.

"Wait what?"

Her eyes shot open at the sudden growl that filled the night sky.

"Oh no!" She yelled. "Vanille get back!" She leapt to her feet and automatically started running. The menacing stance of a Behemoth King met her as she rushed forward towards her friend.

"Where the hell did that come from?" She asked hurriedly.

"I don't know" Vanille panted, raising her Belladonna Wand high, "I heard a noise so decided to look and let you sleep when it pounced down!"

"Are you okay?" Fangs eyes were still glued to the monster, she didn't lose eye contact with the beast. She could see every inch of long sharp claws and menacing teeth bearing down on them.

Vanille looked down gripping her arm, blood seeping through her fingers. She gritted her teeth. Now wasn't the time to put Fang of her game.

"Yeah, I'm fine" She lied.

"Go and get the others" Fang yelled, jumping sideward as the beast tried to hurl her into the air. She felt the breeze as it whizzed past her.

"Not a chance." Vanille responded rushing the creature and landing an array of magic. "Were doing this together!"

Fang knew there wasn't time to argue.

"Ready yourself!" She shouted raising her weapon to her chest ready to rush the creature. "He wont go down easy"

She leapt forward hitting the Behemoth with her strongest attacks, weakening him while Vanille cast every element she could muster, trying to weaken him for a better chance to attack. Fang jumped up in the air, narrowly missing another attack from his huge claws. She brought down her weapon on the top of his spiked head and saw his knees slightly buckle. Now was their chance. She threw him upwards into the air, rendering him unable to attack either of them. She could see with every attack she threw he was getting weaker and less able to cause them serious harm.

She glanced over at Vanille as she prepared to attack once again. The young girl was conjuring the elements of thunder, fire, water and air together to keep him off balance.

Then at a glance she saw the blood.

'Wait' she thought. 'Blood?'

She took her eyes off the creature at the sight of her friends injury. And she had told her she was fine!

"Fang look out!" Vanille yelled. She spun around realising that her hesitation had allowed the creature to regain its feet and it was charging her. She didn't have time to jump out of the way. Bracing herself for impact she grimaced as she saw the claws swipe.

The hit never came. Instead something small and fast bowled her to the ground in a well aimed tackle. She rolled over and saw Vanille raising herself off the ground.

"What are you playing at Fang!" She yelled. "Finish him off!"

She leapt to her feet and in one quick action stabbed the lance straight for his chest. He stumbled backwards all of the menace and strength leaving his body. Falling to one side it made the earth slightly shake with the impact, but he was dead.

Fang stood for a moment panting, struggling to re-oxygenate her body. She felt as if she had just run a small marathon. She looked over to her left. Vanille had fallen to her knees, she too was short of breath.

"Vanille!" She yelled running over and dropping to her knees beside her. "Are you alright?"

Amazingly the young girl was still smiling through the pain. She nodded, her hand still wrapped firmly around her bleeding arm.

"That was close" She half whispered, half panted.

Fang nodded and helped her to her feet.

"Lets get you back to camp" She said. She wanted to yell at Vanille for being so foolish, trying to take on the beast by herself. Not even Lightning could take one down all on her own. She restrained her thoughts, after all Vanille had saved her skin, injured and all! She felt a small surge of pride run through her. Vanille really was tougher than she looked.

* * *

"Lightning!" Fang called as she helped Vanille back into the camp. "I need a bit of help here!"

Lightning quickly opened her eyes and looked up at the sound of Fangs voice. She looked over confused. Why was Vanille there? She was sleeping right next to her earlier. Then she saw the blood and the thought vanished from her mind.

Fang helped lower a now very pale Vanille to the floor. Lightning rushed forward to cast some magic on the young redhead .

"What happened?" She asked stunned. Working as fast as she could.

"Behemoth." Fang replied. "Came out of nowhere, Vanille tried to take it down"

"Somebody wouldn't wake up!" Vanille whined back.

"Wait" Lightning cut in. "You were sleeping on watch?" Her voice was suddenly stern.

"No she wasn't" Vanille quickly defended. "I took watch. I needed to help out a bit more"

Lightning sighed and finished her last spell. Vanille looked down at her newly healed arm and released a breath she hadn't known she had been holding in.

"Thank you Light" she whispered feeling a little stronger already.

"No problem" Lightning raised herself to her feet again. "Take it easy for a while, looks like you took a bit of a beating, you need to let your strength come back"

Vanille nodded in agreement. The soldier really did care underneath it all. She could have sworn she saw a flash of relief across Lightning's face when the wound had healed up.

Turing back to the others Lightning thought it would be best if Fang stayed here with Vanille for a while. Besides it was nearly time for Snow to take over anyway.

"Hey Snow!" Lightning called. She was amazed that the young man was still sleeping through all the racket the three of them had been making.

"Your turn!" all she got in reply was a low grumble as he rolled over and rubbed his eyes.

She rolled her eyes at his attitude.

This was going to be one hell of a long difficult trip!

* * *

**Hmmm... well there you go. Please tell me what you think and if you want me to continue i will repost some more as soon as i can. (Tomorrow most likely!)**

**Thanks for reading!  
**


	2. Heat and Emotion

**Thank you to the reviewers out there, and In reply yes this story is based in the game but the story might take a different direction with different character development and challenges for them to face.**

**Anyway without further ado. Here's the next chapter : )**

**Enjoy**

Xx

Heat bared down on them ferociously as they trekked across miles and miles of open land. No shade, just pure sunlight. The ground was hot beneath their feet. Sweat poured off their foreheads and down their arms, the constant water loss making them thirsty, making them tired and causing a slight loss in concentration.

Battle after battle was what they faced. Enemies getting stronger with each step just as they were getting wearier. Gran Pulse was taking its toll on them all.

"Being on Cocoon must've made me soft" Fang huffed as she dragged her feet along the dusty floor.

"Maybe we have just forgotten what its like to be home?" Vanille asked quietly.

"No, we could never have forgotten home" Fang smiled back.

"Yeah but its been a long time…" Vanille let her voice trail off wanting to save all of her breath for walking.

"We need to keep moving" Lightning too sounded tired but maybe not quite as much as the rest of them. Her stamina stores were easier kept until she needed them. That was survival 101. Never wear yourself down and render yourself unable to fight.

It wasn't long before they found themselves by the edge of water. All of them happy to see the sight of a vast pond, crystal clear and unmoving. Lightning acted like she wasn't bothered and moved as if to go round the waters edge.

"C'mon sis" Snow piped up "Let the kids take a breather"

"I'm not your sister" She sighed. But he was right, if they kept going at this pace they wouldn't last the day out.

Hope and Sazh dropped to their knees and took a handful of water, they splashed it over their faces and drank deeply. Hope gave a sigh, things were easier back on Cocoon.

"Hey sunshine" Fang spoke to Vanille, "You holding up?"

Vanille nodded in response.

"Its just too hot!" She whined

"Well then I have a solution to that" Fang whispered in her ear.

She was curious and raised an eyebrow at her friend, what was she thinking? Before she had the chance to ask Fang had swept her off her feet and hurled them both headfirst into the water.

"Fang!" Vanille coughed as she scrambled for the surface, she had taken water in as she gasped at Fangs actions. Fang patted her on the back, laughing as she felt the sensation of the cool water over her baking skin. It managed to eradicate some of the tiredness they had been feeling and replaced it with a little more energy.

The water splashed back on impact, covering the rest of the party with a fine spray. Snow grinned and removed his heavy jacket, he too jumped in with the two women.

Lightning however didn't look so happy.

"Oh c'mon Light its only water!," Fang laughed, it was good to get a little time for fun once in a while. They were all fed up with being so serious. Especially Vanille.

"Come for a swim!" Vanille yelled happily. "The waters nice"

Lightning shook her head. They didn't have time for frolicking, they were all ticking time bombs. If they couldn't figure out how to get rid of the brands they were all done for. Was she the only one that could see all they had might be over soon? Cocoon would be destroyed if they completed their focus yet if they chose to ignore it, everyone. The people she had come to call family would turn into Cie'th. She wasn't prepared to let that happen. She had to find away for her friends and for her sister. She looked up into the heat of the sky and closed her eyes remembering what it was like before they all became l'Cie.

Life was so much easier back then.

Sazh looked at the people he had been travelling with quite fondly, his heart twanged with sadness when he thought of his son Dajh. He looked up at the cloudless sky and sighed. It wouldn't be long now before they were together again. One way or another.

He looked over to the lake where his friends were having fun and smiled. 'Well at least the kids are having a good time' he thought to himself. Seeing the look on Lightning's face made him chuckle. She was ever serious. She looked like she didn't know the concept of fun.

Finally Vanille swam her way to the side of the pond and climbed out. Her clothes heavy against her small frame. Even though she wasn't wearing much the material was pretty heavy when it was wet. Fang and snow too soon joined her in sitting by the waters edge.

Lightning was pacing, eager to get going again. Her hand constantly gripping the hilt of her weapon.

"C'mon Light" Fang said quietly. "Would you just sit down? Your making me nervous!" She half smiled at her comment.

"We need to get moving" Lightning again repeated. She hated waiting, always had. She liked to carry out a mission and move on and be done. This wasn't like a normal day in the army but she was treating it like one.

"Alright, she's right" Vanille said cheerfully. Leaping to her feet and brushing herself down. She was semi dried off and her clothes felt a little more weightless than they did.

"No good sitting around here. The heats beginning to drop anyway" She added.

Hope nodded. Eager to get back on the road again. He just wanted this nightmare to be over and to be tucked in home safe with his father. His meeting back in Palumpolum really had made him realise how much he needed his Dad right now.

Not that he wasn't happy, because he was. These people. They were family, at least as close as any relatives would be. They had been so through so much together already, and the journey was by no means finished. He began to wonder if there really was an answer to all of this is Oerba.

"Of course there is" A voice sounded next to him and he jumped slightly.

"Wha..?" he began.

"There will be an answer in Oerba" Vanille replied.

"Did I say that out loud?" He asked. Suddenly going red.

She nodded.

"Its alright to be scared" She almost whispered, "Really, I am too."

"I'm not scared" he shot back. She looked surprised. "Well what I mean is" he felt bad about snapping. No one had the heart to be mean to Vanille.

"I guess I'm just a little uncertain. I'm still really new to this l'Cie business, and well…. Yeah I guess you could say I'm a little scared" He smiled sheepishly.

"It will be okay"

"I know."

"Hey you two you coming?" Snow called. They looked up. The others had already started moving off. They looked at each other and started running not wanting to be left behind in a place like this.

* * *

As dusk began to set in they were all ready to camp up. Hope was nearly asleep while he was moving, and Vanille could feel the blisters forming on her feet from all of the walking. Her skin ached where the sun had burned it, she really should've thought about better clothes. She never used to be bothered about the sun. But then again. Gran Pulse never used to be so hot.

She looked all around her. So much had changed. This place was no longer what it used to be. There was no longer people running around, hunting parties and small villages brimming with bright smiles and happy people.

It was now all bare earth and sand.

Only the occasional flower had grown here and there where the sun wasn't too relentless and the soil was semi okay.

She lost herself in thought as the rest of the group began preparing for night. Fang had gone to find some wood to burn, the temperature around here dropped before you even realised you were cold.

Sazh had gone off with Snow to see if they could find something to eat and Hope was too tired to care what was going on around him, he had sat propped against the nearest tree and let his head rest back against it. Closing his eyes it wasn't many seconds before he was soundly asleep.

Lightning had volunteered to 'watch the kids'.

It was her way of keeping Hope safe.

She was sat with her legs crossed and her weapon by her side not too far from Vanille. She caught her gaze as Vanille looked over at her.

"Are you alright?" Lightning asked in a formal manner. She never really had the chance to talk to the young girl.

Vanille nodded. She felt like yelling no and this was all her fault but restrained herself. 'Just keep smiling' She thought.

"Are you sure?" Lightning prodded. It wasn't like her to be concerned but it was rare that Vanille ever fell silent, and she could swear she saw tears brimming behind her eyes.

"I'm fine" Vanille repeated. "I just want to get home"

"Are you worried?" She paused a little. "I mean, that your village will have changed?"

Vanille paused for a minute. Did she really want the soldier to know how she felt?

"I guess" she said slowly, the smile fading slightly. "I mean, I hope it's the same, it was always so bright and happy, but now. Looking at all we've seen so far I'm not so sure. I just don't know what to expect."

She looked down at her feet avoiding Lightning's gaze. She didn't want people to know how messed up she was feeling. She was torn between so many emotions, Hate at herself for letting this happen to them all. Fear, for what the future might hold. Sadness, that Serah and Dajh were crystal. The list went on and on and she wasn't sure if she could cope with the burden of lying to everyone much longer.

She decided she couldn't, she owed Lightning an apology.

"This is my fault isn't it?" She whispered, Lightning barely heard her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean all of this, Serah, Dajh. Even the fact that you are all l'Cie. Everything was my fault. Because I ran… because… I didn't have the courage…" She couldn't help but let the tears roll silently. She was still looking down at her feet, unable to look up at the woman before her. She could just imagine the look of anger on her face at her bringing up what had happened.

"Hey…" Lightning said, feeling a little awkward, she never was very good at consolidation.

"No one blames you for anything, this… this isn't your fault"

Vanille looked up at her soft words, she was half expecting the soldier to yell at her. After all it was her fault Serah was a crystal.

"If there is one thing I've learnt, the past is in the past" Lightning added. "It wasn't your fault you woke up on cocoon and sure, maybe running was the wrong thing to do but instinct kicked in and you did what anyone would have done" She sighed. She had no idea the young girl had felt like this.

It must be such a burden to carry the world on her shoulders.

Vanille didn't know what to say. She was confused about why everyone was so kind to her after all she had done. Sazh, he hadn't wanted to shoot her even though she had given him more than enough reason too. You really didn't forget people like this.

Lightning's words just made the tears come faster.

The young soldier sat for a while, unsure of the right thing to say. It was times like now when she wished she was better with people. The only one who seemed to be able to keep Vanille calm was Fang. They were really just like her and Serah, their bond was so deep they didn't need words at a time like this, they just needed each other.

She looked back at the young girl, seeing her shoulders shake she stood up and unclipped the red cape she always wore. It was no use to her, not really. She carefully draped it over Vanille's shoulders. The young girl turned quickly and grabbed her around the waist, Lightning stumbled slightly half with the impact, and half with the shock at being hugged.

"I'm sorry…" Vanille's muffled words reached her ears. "I'm so, so sorry!" She cried harder into Lightning's shirt and gripped her tighter. Lightning couldn't move her even if she wanted to. Instead she sunk to her knees and just let the girl take out all her emotions. She didn't say anything at all, words would be no good at this moment. Vanille just needed a way to release some of her guilt.

And if this was the best way for her to do it, who was Lightning to stand in the way?

A/N.

**Well second part is here, sorry it took me so long! I had to work late every day this week, Typical!**

**Well, I hope you liked it :D**


	3. Tireless Charge

**Okay, so my muse is working a little overtime so I decided to keep going and post this one up. Its like half 2 in the morning and I'm tired but, I think it turned out okay. :D**

**Hope you are all enjoying the story so far and please let me know what you think!**

**XX**

**

* * *

**

Not one person had the heart to wake them up.

Vanille had finally cried herself to sleep still clutching Lightning as tight as she could, Lightning had stopped trying to resist and given up all attempt's at dislodging the girl, she had instead gotten into the most comfortable position she could with someone wrapped around her and found sleep herself. And in actual fact, she had slept well.

When Fang and the boys had come back, they all smiled at the sight before them. Fang could see that Vanille had been crying, the tears that were still wet on her cheeks told her that, and the way she was gripping Lighting as if she would simply disappear in a wisp of smoke, she knew this because that's the way she usually gripped her. And they all knew that Lightning herself hadn't been sleeping anyway. So she left the pair and went to take up her position for watch duty.

Vanille stirred slightly, feeling her friends presence, but she soon succumbed to slumber once again.

* * *

Unfortunately, what woke her up wasn't a person. She jerked upright at the growl.

Not again!

"Lightning, wake up!" She said urgently, shaking the young woman awake, for someone with ninja like skills, she sure was a heavy sleeper. She finally got a response…

Who was guarding? Two guesses!

"Fang!" She heard Lightning yell angrily. The rest of the group stirred at her yell.

Fang awoke with a start, her eyes immediately widened, mainly at the murderous look on Lighting's face. But the Ugallu could have had something to do with that.

He was huge, they had all seen them hanging about the plains, but had so far managed to avoid all confrontation with the big dogs, this one however had managed to find them.

Lightning scrambled to her feet, grabbing the hilt of her blade she charged forward, her attack power was incredible and they were stood for a moment in awe at the rhythm she had when she was fighting, every strike, every sword swing looked effortless. Unfortunately the rhythm was cut short by the animals huge paw. She felt the blow knock her backwards, she landed with a thud in front of Fang.

It wasn't long before she was on her feet, ignoring the twinge her shoulder gave her as she re-raised her blade. This time, her friends stood beside her. Ready to charge the beast.

She felt a soft glow engulf her body, and saw a pale blue light leave Vanille's hand as the spell washed over her, feeling instantly better she nodded her thanks, her attention returning to the task at hand. It wasn't as tough as some of the things they had fought but that wasn't a reason to let their guard down.

Fang raised her spear, protecting her body from the animal charging towards them. The blow it struck didn't even move her.

Lightning jumped up, landing a good few strikes with her blade. She spun round however when she heard Vanille give a high squeak.

'Oh no' She thought. There was more, two more in fact. They were blocking the way out of the camp. Advancing menacingly they let out low growls. Showing the bright whites of their teeth.

"We've got these sis" Snow yelled, raising his gloved fists. Hope joined him and Lightning felt her heart jump.

"Help them Fang!" She yelled over her shoulder to the brunette. "I've got this one!"

"You sure?" The woman's accented voice met her ears.

She nodded, she had to be sure. She felt Fang leave her side, leaving her to fight this battle by herself.

Wait…

"What are you doing?" She looked in awe at Vanille.

"I'm helping!" The young girl sounded stubborn, raising the Belladonna wand in front of her.

Lightning was about to argue when she had to duck and roll to avoid an attack.

"I can handle it!" She yelled, the anger in her voice rising.

"Doesn't look like it to me." Vanille sounded cheerful again, where did this girl get her optimism from?

Lightning just grunted and focused back at the creature.

"Ready yourself" She said.

* * *

Snow hated to admit it but he was struggling, this big dog just didn't want to give in. It wasn't like him to be out manned in a fight, but this was going some. He looked over at Fang. She seemed to be enjoying her battle, she must have been used to all of these creatures when she lived here. She knew just how to bring one to its knees. He however, was fighting blind.

With only Hope at his side he was an easy target. Looking after someone else, trying to keep both them and you alive, wasn't easy.

The main problem was avoiding the Ugallu's claws they were razor sharp and had cut through his skin more times now than he could count. It was a good thing for him that Hope was a good healer.

He could feel his body tiring, his muscles burning with the lack of oxygen. They would only be able to keep up this pace for a little while longer.

* * *

Fang was finding no difficulty whatsoever, this battle was like a dance to her. She was too nimble to let the beast land any blows, she could sense where his next attack was coming from and was dodging out of the way. Landing gracefully just out of reach every time. This seemed to be annoying the creature and it was getting clumsier and clumsier with each movement.

Sazh however was panting as he raised his dual pistols. This was no way for a man of his age to be spending his time, fighting feral creatures. He grunted as he released the bullets from the guns chambers. Hitting the animal directly in the chest. This just seemed to be making it even madder. Its hide was too thick for simple bullets to be of much good. This was going to be a long drawn out process.

* * *

Lighting thought she was getting on fairly well. The creature had to be tiring, and due to the large amount of sleep she had had, her energy stores were still full to brimming. She was glad that being a soldier had kept her fit. In fact her and Fang were probably the only two who weren't out of breath.

Leaping backwards in a graceful back-flip she shot another round from her gun blade. It whizzed into the dogs leg, making it stumble down onto its knees. She saw, the rods from Vanille's wand hit it across the base of its shoulder, leaving scrape marks.

She had to hand it to the girl, she could hold her own in a fight.

In fact, if Lightning's attentions were completely on the creature she could have had the battle finished by now. But the truth was she had to keep glancing over at Hope, her worry becoming more and more of a disadvantage. She knew she had to look out for them all, but there was just something about him. They had been through too much of a journey together for her to let him get hurt now.

The beast turned this time towards Vanille. Her legs were slightly shaking as the initial adrenaline of the battle was starting to turn to fatigue, her scrapes and cuts were still laced across her skin. She was too focused on healing Lightning to take care of herself, and Lighting was too absorbed in the battle to heal.

She too lightly jumped sideward as the creature charged her, her poise becoming more defensive as she dodged the huge front claws, she was caught off guard however by its tail.

The strike got her across the shoulders, knocking her backwards and to the ground. Her eyes opened wide as the creature bore down on her for another strike, she saw Lightning running but knew she was too far away to help. Closing her eyes she braced for impact. Nothing came, no pain, nothing.

She opened one eye slowly. The familiar form of Fang stood over her, her spear lodged in the creatures mouth. It was biting down, furiously trying to throw the woman off balance.

Fang stood her ground, hanging onto the spear she cast it upwards, through the roof of the Ugallu's mouth and into its head.

It roared in pain before rolling onto its side, completely motionless.

Fang stood for a moment, her victory brought a smile to her face. She had forgotten what it was like to be out fighting on pulse, although now she had a little more power.

She turned to her friend helping her off the floor.

Wincing, Vanille gladly took her hand, allowing herself to be half lifted off the floor.

"Are you hurt?" Fang asked in a worried voice.

"Ill live" Vanille replied, her voice shaky.

"Go" she whispered. Fang nodded. She still needed to help out Snow and Hope, who seemed at this moment to be losing to their attacker.

Lightning too charged past joining Fang in her headlong battle.

"Where do you two get the energy?" Snow panted. Fang grinned back at him.

"Its okay _hero_ she emphasised. If you need to go and lay down us girls have it from here"

She could've sworn she heard a faint snigger from Lightning. Snow could feel his face go slightly red.

"Lets do this!" He yelled, not wanting to look a fool .

"Two down" Lightning thought to herself, this place really was relentless.

* * *

It didn't take long before they had the third and final creature brought down, what should have been a relatively hard fight was made slightly easier by Fangs expertise on the monsters.

Fang, Lightning and Snow made their way back to the others. Sazh was laid flat on his back. Breathing heavily, just wanting to rest. Hope meanwhile was tending to Vanille.

"There" the young boy said. "Feel any better?"

Vanille nodded.

"Thanks Hope"

"Not a problem" he looked away, going slightly red himself, he had always had a soft spot for Vanille, he was sure everyone but her knew it too.

"Hey" Fang said as she reached her friend. "You put up quite a fight" she sat down next to her and rustled her hair. Vanille shrugged her shoulders.

"So did you" she added. Fang smiled.

"Yeah, from what I saw, you basically took out all three of them things by yourself" Sazh had sat up again joining in on the conversation.

"No way, we weakened it first" Snow argued. "Right Hope?"

"Errr…." Hope didn't know what to say.

"See even he agrees that you guys were bad!" Sazh laughed.

The fight had lifted everyone's spirits up. They realised that they were fighting to help each other stay alive, and that was the mission at the moment. Survival.

Unfortunately, that was proving to be harder than they expected.

* * *

**A/N. **

**Okay so I know this one is a little shorter than the rest, but I tried to cram a little bit of action into it :D **

**I hope you enjoyed It and if you did , leave me a review :D **


	4. Tunnel Network

**Okay, well the first few chapters have been for a little bit of character development, but I feel that the story needs to progress forward. So im going to be putting a few little twists in, want to know what? Then read on!**

**Regardless, on with the story! **

**XX**

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Mah'habara.

A Criss-crossing network of endless darkness. These well used caves had become unstable and haunting.

Fang looked up at the tunnel ceiling, broken rocks were constantly falling, walls looked like they might collapse at any moment and it was giving everyone an uneasy feeling of insecurity. These tunnels had once been used as a passage between The Archylte Steppe and Oerba. Hunting parties used to use them daily, to bring in food and supplies to the village.

Now they were derelict, devoid of people and home to the monsters of Gran Pulse.

Vanille shivered as she looked at the place she had once know, seeing this place made her even more uncertain of going home to Oerba. Even though she was sure her beloved home would hold some answers she was unsure of the state the beautiful village might be in. It would break her if her former home was no more.

"Chin up kid" Sazh whispered next to her.

She looked up into his kind eyes, looking back down quickly. She didn't feel she had the place to meet his gaze. She remembered the remorse and anger his eyes held when Dajh turned to crystal. Because of her.

"It will work out. You'll see" He continued. He felt no hate towards the young l'Cie, he wasn't sure why, he should be so mad yet he could see she had been through too much already. He was surprised someone so young had managed to deal with all the hardships so well.

She nodded, still looking at her feet.

"I don't bite ya'know" Sazh laughed, she looked up at him and a little bit of relief washed over her when she saw his smile.

"And I'm not mad, what's done is done. There's no changing the past."

"I'm sorry…" She whispered, barely loud enough for him to hear. "But your right"

'Kweh!' Vanille giggled as the little Chocobo chick flew out of Sazh hair and landed on her shoulder, she loved this little creature dearly. It reminded her of how happy they all were on cocoon and how they would be again when they finished their journey. This time when they carried on forwards into the relentless caves she felt happier.

Fang and Lightning finally saw the spring return to her step.

Of all the creatures they had come into contact with, the Hoplite's and the Pulsework Centurions were some of the strangest. They seemed to be made out of some kind of metal alloy that none of them had seen before. Even Fang and Vanille knew they weren't native and must have appeared while they were still encased in crystal.

Thunder magic attacks brought them down fairly easily yet Lightning was worried. Fighting in a place like this was dangerous. She found them dodging more of the rocks as their powerful attacks made the caverns shake. She had told the rest of the group to refrain from fighting if they could help it, and only attack when they needed too. Of course confrontation was sometimes necessary.

She squinted ahead into the darkness. Seeing the familiar shape or an enemy she stopped the rest in their tracks. She looked upwards. The roof here looked worse, cracks formed like a criss-cross pattern it would cave in with great ease.

"We should find a way around" She whispered, not wanting to alert their presence. Hope nodded. He really didn't like this place.

"Yeah but this is the only way forward" Fang sounded annoyed. She was mad that Lightning took point all of the time, after all she knew this place better than anyone.

"Don't worry I'll clear you the path." Before Lightning could stop her she had raised her spear and leapt forward. Running headlong towards the creature. She didn't stop and think of the effects her actions might have. She saw as she got closer that its frame was bigger than the monsters they had met so far. In fact, it was much bigger!

"Oh shit!" She yelled as she stopped her forward attack .

_Juggernaut._

And it had seen her.

"Fang wait!" she heard Vanille's voice yell, she spun around the young girl was running towards her pointing towards the huge mechanical beast.

It was doing something strange, preparing itself to fire…

The next thing she knew the wrecking ball had shot out of Juggernaut's front, she quickly dived to the left avoiding the initial impact. The ball flew past her and hit the wall, making the whole tunnel complex rumble.

'Oh no'

"Vanille get back!" She yelled. The roof was crumbling. She looked behind her, Vanille stopped in her tracks, she too was looking up. There was no time to react, her feet didn't want to move no matter how much she was willing them to. She heard someone yelling at her to run and realised that it was Lightning's voice that met her ears.

Lightning could see what was going to happen, she saw the heavy metal ball hit the wall of the cavern and knew. The caves were too unstable, Fang should have listened. She had no time to run forward, boulders started raining down on them thick and hard. She screamed at Vanille to run, willed her to move her feet and get herself to safety but the young girl was routed with fear. She couldn't get there.

She spun around and grabbed Hope's arm, heading back the way they had come, she could hear the crashes from directly behind them and knew this would be close.

"Move, move!" She yelled to Sazh and Snow, who were too running with her. In one quick motion she dove forward, taking Hope with her and shielding his body with her own. Small stones were raining down on them, but the main tunnel collapse was further back. It seemed to take ages before the rocks finished pounding the ground. She coughed as the dust met her lungs.

Raising herself slowly she squinted through the heavy dust filling the air. The tunnel was completely blocked, well and truly caved in. She pulled Hope to his feet, Snow and Sazh doing the same.

"Fang, Vanille!"

Snows scream's echoed around the caverns and came back to greet them. Fang and Vanille were trapped on the other side. Lightning had seen the rocks hurtling towards them. Towards Vanille, they had to be okay. They had to get round and help them.

Snow yelled out one more time, but when the echoes died down only silence followed.

* * *

She felt groggy. Her limbs heavy, a fine layer of dust covered her body. She felt the need to cough, her lungs feeling weighty.

Wait, what happened?

She slowly sat herself upright, her head pounded. Raising her hand up she could feel a slight bump forming at the back, she must have been knocked out. Rocks surrounded her and a small amount of rubble lay across her feet. She pushed them off, gingerly testing to see if they still worked. Well they seemed to and there was no pain so she presumed they were fine.

Fang remembered attacking an unknown enemy, oh wait… it was a juggernaut, now she remembered. It fired at her and Vanille….

"Vanille!" Her eyes grew wide, the young girl had been running towards her, leaping to her feet as quickly as her stiff body would allow she looked in horror at the pile of rubble behind her, big boulders blocked the path back to the others. Had Vanille managed to get back to them before the roof came down?

No. She distinctly remembered the redhead rooted to the spot, she had yelled out for her to run but she hadn't seen her move.

"Oh god no" she whispered. She ran forward grabbing the nearest rock she began franticly digging away at the rubble. This couldn't be happening. She grunted as she grabbed a bigger rock, she had to be here somewhere, she wasn't too far away when the roof had come down.

"Vanille" She yelled, hoping against hope that her friend called back to her. No answer.

She was digging faster now, sweat beginning to pour off her forehead, she wiped it away with her arm, grabbing the next rock she threw it aside with force.

She stopped in her tracks, she had uncovered a small hand, laced with jewellery and bangles. It was all too familiar to her.

"Oh no, Vanille!" she whispered urgently, she didn't think it was possible to dig faster as she threw rock after rock off her friend, her breathing was coming in gasps and her lungs felt like they were on fire but she didn't stop, she couldn't.

"Vanille, can you hear me?" She said urgently, she had half uncovered the young girl and she could see she was out cold.

Blood trickled down the top of her head, a deep laceration was across the right hand side of her hairline. Fang quickly checked her pulse. And breathed a sigh of relief when she found one.

She continued her frantic digging, freeing her legs from rubble, she could see one was bent at an awkward angle, most likely broken.

Once she was happy she was free, Fang looked the girl up and down, there was no other obvious sign of trauma.

"Vanille wake up" she said gently, she slightly shook her shoulders, willing her to listen. She stirred slightly, her hand instinctively twitching as she began to come around.

"Come on, you can do it" Fang grabbed her hand and whispered to her.

Vanille groaned, the world was all fuzzy. She noticed a dull ache in her head as she squinted to try and get used to the darkness. She could just make out Fangs form hovering above her, she could see the concern etched across her features and then she realised Fang had her hand gripped tightly between her own. She raised her other hand and brought it to the point on her head where she felt pain. She felt the sticky substance and recoiled, instantly knowing it was blood.

"Hey, You had me scared" she heard Fang say to her. She managed a half smile, it was to let Fang know she was okay. She attempted to push herself forward off the floor when the wave of pain hit her. She stopped herself from yelling instead it came out as more of a muffled cry.

"Whoa, don't try and move" Fang reassured, "I think you've broke your leg"

She laid back down and gritted her teeth. Wow that hurt. She had only just recognised that her chest too hurt with the rise and fall of her breathing. She wiggled the toes on her other foot and was pleased to find out that this one seemed to be alright.

She took a deep breath and attempted to sit up again, grimacing as she did, this time Fang helped her ease into an upright position. She felt her head spin with dizziness and Fang supported her as she felt like passing out again.

"Easy, you took a good knock" Fang was worried, Vanille's skin was pale, her head was still bleeding and she could very well have a concussion. It was evident that she had taken some force from the boulders.

This was all her fault.

"Wha…" Vanille was going to ask what happened but her throat felt full of dust. She coughed and her ribs instantly flared up in anger, she half choked, trying to stop the sudden movement that was causing her pain. She cold feel Fang gently rubbing her back.

"Ouch" She managed tears filling her eyes.

"Shh, don't try and talk." Fang whispered, "We need to get you some help"

She then looked back at the boulders, yeah but how?

* * *

Lightning was getting frustrated. These tunnels lead in so many different directions, it was like trying to make your way through a maze with no map. Both the people that knew where they were going were trapped on the other side. For some unknown reason she felt the urgency to hurry.

"Light, we're wandering in circles" Hope said gently.

"I know!" Lightning snapped back. Hope fell silent, she took out her gun blade and struck the wall out of anger, it helped slightly. "We need to find a way round!"

"Getting angry wont help!" Snow raised his voice, "We need to stay calm"

"Calm, did you not see what happened?" She shot back. "Vanille…."

"I saw" Snow lowered his tone slightly, "But getting angry wont help. We need to use our heads."

"You? Use your head? that's a first" Lightning shot at him. He knew she didn't mean it, she just needed to calm down.

"Look, I know your worried we all are" Sazh cut in. "But if we don't think logically we aren't any use to them"

"He's right Light" Hope whispered, he walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "It will be okay, we will figure it out."

She nodded. Now wasn't the time to lose it, their friends needed their help.

She looked behind her down the dark tunnel, in the direction they had last seen the missing two members of the group.

'Fang, Vanille. Please be okay…'

* * *

**A/N **

**Well, there you have it, I felt like putting a little twist in there… **

**If you liked it, drop me a review. Thanks for reading :D**


	5. Past Thoughts

**Hmmm… Not many reviewers out there, so either the story is bad or you just don't have time to drop me a teeny weenie little message ? I'm sticking to my word though, this it the 5****th**** chapter in a week! Im proud!**

**Enjoy **

**XxX**

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_The cold air bit into her skin as she sat alone in the dark. She had been crying that day, and the tears still resided, salty down her face. She was young, idealistic and before today had been carefree and happy. Now she sat alone, not a soul in the world to curl up to and forget anything had ever happened. _

_Her name was Vanille, and she had just lost everything. _

_Fang could remember the day they had carried her back to her "home". The residence where people looked after her, nice people. Kind people. She had looked so tiny and frail, her skin pale, her hair rugged and messed up. Her lips were a bright shade of blue and a darker crimson of blood covering her hands, her face and spilled down her clothes. _

_She could remember the look of terror in her bright green eyes and how she hugged herself tight, a girl with the weight of the world on her shoulders and one that in an instant had experienced true loss. _

_Fang had just lost her parents, a hunting accident had gone wrong and they were caught in a landslide way up on the Eastern tors of the Archylte Steppe. She had remembered the anguish when they had told her, told her she was never to see them again. She felt crushed, every night she cried herself to sleep, alone and scared. Sure the people around here were nice, they provided everything she could possibly want. But nothing could fill a hole in her heart that big. _

_Not until that day. That was the day her life changed for the better, the day she had grown up. _

_She was only twelve years old, yet she felt something stir when she looked at the tear stained face of the girl in front of her, some kind of protective instinct kicked in and she felt a sudden urge to run to the girl and take her in a tight embrace. She restrained herself, yet instead looked on with utmost curiosity. Something terrible had happened to this girl too she felt as if they were in something together. That, through misery, pain and loss something better could be built. Love._

_She could remember the girl crying in her sleep that night, the troubled expression on her face etched further as she tossed and turned about. Fang had gotten herself out of bed then and had gone to sit by the girls bedside. Her presence seemed to instantly calm her down and it wasn't long before she was sleeping more soundly. Rolling over she had grabbed onto Fang and hung on, not wanting to let go. In shock Fang had stayed as still as she possibly could, not wanting to wake the girl from her now peaceful slumber. That was how she awoke in the morning and the girl, shocked had pulled away from her with immense speed, a rather embarrassed look across her face. _

"_Hey" Fang had said, "Its alright, I'm not your enemy" her voice was soft and the girls frame relaxed slightly, she looked away her eyes burning once more with tears. She couldn't look into this girls eyes, even though she wasn't much older than herself she had the same kind eyes her mother used to have. _

"_Tell me your name" she prodded softly, not wanting to push her too hard. _

"_Vanille" that was the first time Fang had heard the girls voice. Her tone was high, her words slightly ringing with musicality, for someone who was grieving so much her voice held the tone of happiness. _

"_Vanille" Fang repeated. "That's nice" _

"_Oerba Dia Vanille" the girl slowly looked up, the tears leaking from her eyes once again, Fang felt the urge to wipe them away but didn't want to startle her. _

"_Dia Vanille…" Fang mulled the words over in her head. So this was the girl. Oerba was a small village, quaint and overpopulated, stories were easily heard and easily passed on like wildfire._

_She had heard one of the other occupants talking the night before, she had been sat at Vanille's bedside, the young girl clutching to her sari like her life depended on it. The woman was whispering to her partner about a murder on the outskirts of the village. Some kind of wild animal had broken into a small farm and killed its occupants. It was said, the woman continued that the farmer and his wife had fought to protect their only child. A small girl, nobody knew her name, only that the family name was Dia and they supplied the town with golden crops year after year. It was said, that her father had shielded her from the sharp claws of the beast as it had ransacked their home and turned on them. Nobody knows how she survived, only that she had disappeared when the villagers had entered the home a few hours later. _

_Fang looked back down at the girl before her. Poor kid… _

"_What's yours?" a small voice had asked cautiously. _

"_Oerba Yun Fang" _

_How could somebody so small and so young have been through so much? No wonder she cried in her sleep, the nightmares must have been terrible. _

"_Fang…" this time it was Vanille's turn to repeat her name slowly. She though it had sounded grown up, and realised that it suited the young woman in front of her. Her brunette locks were brushed messily, her attire was a small tank top, with a light blue sari draped around her hips and across her shoulders. She was tall, untamed…. Familiar._

_Fang had felt Vanille's eyes bore into her and had turned away embarrassed, she raised herself of the bed and went to walk away when arms fastened securely around her midsection. She stopped abruptly, puzzled at the girls actions. Then she heard three little words and her heart had tugged with sadness. _

"_Please, don't leave" _

_

* * *

_

"You scared me that day in Oerba" Fang was talking to herself more than she was to Vanille, she was so very tired but she found herself striving to stay awake. It was important that Vanille didn't sleep for too long, Fang was sure with a knock to the head that bad there would be a concussion involved. She woke her every few hours, mainly just receiving an incoherent mumble. But at least it was a response.

"We were so young, and you were so scared" Fang continued, looking up at the top of the cavern. "I didn't know what to do, it wasn't fair. What you had been through. I can remember how you clung to me and cried in your sleep, you still haven't grown out of that." She added with a slight smile.

"I have nightmares too" she sighed. "We lost everyone we loved, and found each other. And I…" She had to swallow the lump forming in her throat.

"And I don't want to lose you too. Never" she wiped at the tear that had managed to jump the barricade.

"Remember what we used to say?" she was holding Vanille's hand loosely in her own. "That we would be…"

"Together forever…" Vanille replied quietly, Fangs eyes shot downward and met hers.

"Hey, I didn't realise you were awake"

"Mm hmm." Vanille mumbled, her head was still pounding and she wasn't able to move without being in discomfort but still, she smiled.

"I remember too" Vanille spoke now, quietly and with a small hint of sadness, "But you were always there for me, like you are now. And I'm grateful for everything you've ever done. I wouldn't have coped if it wasn't for you"

"Wasn't for me?" Fangs voice was now slightly bitter. Her tone lower as she gritted her teeth together in self loathing.

"You wouldn't be _here_ if it wasn't for me! Its my fault that this happened. I'm the one who caused it. Just like back in the temple."

"That was different…"

"How?" Fang said sharply, "You became a l'Cie, because of _me_." the words still rung true to her ears, the day she had turned her spear on their own fal'Cie.

"_Let me atone for them" _

Vanille had laid down her life to Fang that day, she had spoken to the priests of the temple, gotten down and shielded Fang from their weapons with her own body. The young girl saving the woman she cared so deeply for.

Fang could still remember the serious look on her face as she had spoken.

"_Make us both l'Cie" _

Her world had come crashing down that night. Vanille had her whole life ahead of her and for one stupid mistake was sacrificing everything.

Vanille sighed, "That was my choice, and I would never change it. It was better to become a l'Cie, to be with you. Than to not, and to lose you. If I had to decide again. I wouldn't do anything differently." she squeezed Fang's hand a little for reassurance, everyone thought Fang was so strong, like she was made of steel and unbreakable but the truth was she was just as human Vanille herself.

Fang looked away, still holding guilt close to her yet feeling the weight lift slightly, she knew that by becoming l'Cie, if they could figure out their focus they really could spend their lives eternally together.

"How do you feel?" She turned back to the moment at hand. Vanille had attempted to cure herself before she had fallen asleep, her magic was too weak and her body was too worn out. Especially to use magic so strong that it would cure the wounds she had received. So Fang had resorted to the old fashioned way and had managed to stump the bleeding on her head with a piece of material she had ripped from her clothing.

"A bit better I think" Vanille lied, she still felt horrible. Her leg was throbbing and every time she moved it felt like someone was digging a sharp knife into her ribs.

"You're lying, you always were a terrible liar" Fang said grimly. She could see the pain in Vanille eyes no matter how hard she was attempting to mask it.

"I know." Vanille's voice trailed off, if only that was true. Fang would have been able to see through her false pretences and she wouldn't have to hide her feelings all of the time. She hated having to lie about their focus. It was one of the worst feelings knowing that she was hiding something from the one person who trusted her with her life. But it had to be done.

She took a deep breath and she managed, with Fangs help. To sit herself vertically. Her ribs screaming out with being moved. She found that she had stiffened up chronically. She hoped that moving onward might loosen her off a little bit.

"We are going to have to get moving" she huffed. She had been dreading this moment. It was going to be a long excruciating walk.

"Are you sure your up for it?" Fang was worried, she would be able to carry her so far but it would still take its toll, the last thing she wanted to do was to harm Vanille any more than she already was. The others would be frantic she knew. Lightning would be mad, Sazh and his little Chocobo chick would be thinking logically and Snow and Hope would be thinking about charging in all guns blazing.

'Do that and your never going to find us' she thought. Mah'habara was a maze, one that you could lose yourself in and never find your way out. Unless of course you knew where you were going. She sighed to herself, what should have been a rescue mission to get them was going to be the other way around.

Vanille nodded. "We need to find the others, they don't know where their going and they'll be wandering in circles by now."

She hoped everyone was alright. She looked down at the floor. She couldn't bear it if anyone got hurt, no. It was better to strive forward through the pain as fast as she possibly could.

She refused to run anymore.

"Well the only way is forward" Fang grimaced, breaking through Vanille's thoughts. She looked back at the blocked off cavern.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

**A/N. **

**Well here's the update sorry the ending is a bit abrupt but it is like *looks at clock* 3.13am!, now *yawns* I'm going to bed. I will post chapter 6 tomorrow night! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	6. Growing up in Oerba

**Heyyyyy! So is everyone enjoying this? No reviews huh? Well that's disappointing, anyway I'm determined to battle through and get this one done so as promised here is chapter 6!**

**Enjoy! **

**Xx**

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_That day back one Oerba was a strange one. _

_The clouds hung black and low over the village, rain was pelting down on the rooftops and the dull crack of thunder could be heard from a distance. Fang lay awake, her arms folded above her head and her eyes fixed firmly on the ceiling. She could hear the faint sounds of someone sleeping below her and sighed. _

_Rolling over she listened to the voices downstairs, they had already sat down for breakfast. Her own stomach was growling at her but she ignored it. She hated going for breakfast without Vanille and the girl was fast asleep. She slowly and quietly swung her legs from the top bunk of their bed and lightly hopped to the floor. She had been up late last night, Vanille had been crying as usual most of the night. The girl was tired, nightmares relentlessly shook her every night. Fang felt guilty, angry that she couldn't just chase them away. _

_It had been that way for nearly ten years. _

_Fang herself was just about to turn twenty-one. And Vanille had just turned eighteen. They had grown a lot closer over the past few years, never leaving each others side. They leant on each other for everything, but today. Fang was going to leave Vanille behind. She felt a pang of sadness. She was going to miss this place, miss her._

_She was heading out to see more of the vast world of Gran Pulse. It was time she lived for herself. She wanted to know just what the wilderness had to offer. Of course she had been before, out to places such as the deep caves of Mah'habara and the vast plains of the Archylte Steppe, yet she had never been alone. _

_She grabbed her lance from under their shared bad, careful to be as quiet as she possibly could. She didn't want Vanille to know she was going. She knew she would either want to come or persuade her not to go. No she had to do this alone. _

_She wanted to be a hunter, some men from the village had taught her how to fight, how to track. She knew she could survive if she needed to but with Vanille by her side she would be constantly watching over her shoulder. It would risk the both of them. _

_The lance had been a present from her father. He had bought it when she was only a child, hoping that one day she would make him proud and become strong enough to wield it with skill. She was going to do just that. _

_She made her way downstairs and headed out into the rain, her shoes making no noise as she briskly stepped through the deserted streets. Everyone would either be inside eating breakfast or still sound asleep. The sun was only just beginning to lighten the skies, making the rain feel almost magical, giving it a soft orange glow. _

_Before she knew it she was out of the village and trekking trough the wilderness. She was gripping her lance tightly, her knuckles white. Her skin slightly cold from the pounding rain. She felt alive, strong and independent. But she couldn't help but feel guilt, Vanille would be awake by now. She would have found her empty bed and be distraught. She shook her head, This was for the best. _

_By the time she reached the outskirts of the steppe the sun was higher in the sky. She had no way of telling the time but she guessed it was around noon. The temperature was still low and the rain still poured down upon her. Her feet were muddy and uncomfortable, the mud had splashed up her bare legs, sending a chill through her. Why was this place so deserted? She had only met a few wild inhabitants the whole time she had been walking. Usually an array of different creatures would be out playing in the mud. She stepped cautiously. Something didn't feel quite right. _

_Slowing her feet down she surveyed her surroundings, noting down in her head the speed and direction of the wind, sensing where the sounds would be blowing to. She could hear something faintly, it wasn't very loud, but it sounded low, menacing almost. _

_It was a distance from her yet but she felt her heart jump with excitement. Something was coming. _

_She raised her weapon. Her heart was now beating furiously against her ribcage. She could almost hear its drumming rhythm. Listening to the advancing creature she could tell that it was coming slowly, stopping and starting as if to smell the wind, its legs, she decided there were four of. Claws scraping against rock and snapping twigs as it moved through the growth nearby. She saw a flash of white eyes and a glimpse of light brown fur and felt only slight apprehension. _

_Yet something caught her attention. A familiar perfume caught her nose and a streak of red flew past in the trees nearby. _

_She squinted, hoping she was wrong._

_Vanille knew she had seen her. Fang always was the better hunter. She was able to move silently through any terrain, her feet trackless and her senses perfect. It wasn't a skill that could be learned. You just had to have a strong will to survive. She gritted her teeth and slowly emerged from the trees. _

_Seeing the half shocked half angry look on Fangs face really didn't help her nerves. _

_Fang stood transfixed. Vanille stepping out to greet her, a slightly nervous look across her face. _

_How did she? Fang shook her head. Feeling slightly proud. This girl was incredible. She had been following her for hours but never made any noise at all, Fang didn't even know she was there until she had stopped moving and really listened._

_In her surprise, she had forgotten all about the creature, which unfortunately for her just happened to be a bear. _

_She could see that Vanille had stopped walking and felt slightly confused at the look of horror on her face. Then she heard the roar and her heart stopped, just for a second. _

_"Fang look out!" She heard the scream come from Vanille and spun around just as claws grated against her shoulder. She cried out, falling backwards and to the ground. Pain ripping through her arm and down to her hand. The bear had risen onto its hind legs and she looked around desperately for her lance. How could she have let go of it? _

_She couldn't see it anywhere, the rain making it difficult. Looking back up she saw the bear moving closer. Its white teeth bearing down on her in an evil grin, she guessed it was a mother bear, its cubs must have been nearby and it was protecting them. She thought it looked about five feet tall, its body heavy and its claws a good few inches long.._

_Something then hit the side of its head. A rock perhaps? Then another yell met hers, and the bears ears. _

_"Vanille, no! Get out of here!" She yelled back, hoping the bear wouldn't listen. _

_It did, and it went charging off in the young girls direction. _

_"Run!" She screamed. _

_Vanille did just that. She could hear the bear closing the gap between them fairly quickly. Its four legs better for covering the ground than her two, she knew it was just a matter of seconds before it would catch up with her. She gripped the string around her neck and pulled. She new she might need this when she left home. It was Fangs survival knife. _

_It was only small, its blade blunt. Fang had used it to carve wood when she was younger and Vanille hoped it would bring her the luck she so desperately needed. Luck however, wasn't something she usually had and as her feet hit the tree root beneath them she tripped. Lurching forward she put her arms out to stop her hitting the floor. The knife leaving her hands and flying out in front of her. _

_She could feel her body sliding along in the mud. She reached out, managing to grab the blade by its handle. _

_Coming to a stand still she spun herself onto her back just as the shadow loomed over her. She raised the knife and closed her eyes, hearing a roar. She could feel her small body trembling. _

_The bear jumped forward. Its claws drawn, heading towards soft flesh. An evil mad look drawn into its eyes and etched across its features. Closing down on the girl it was met with something sharp. Right to the chest. _

_Vanille felt the sudden weight fall against her outstretched hands, and across her body. She felt claws digging at her sides and waited for the teeth to do the same. She yelled out as the claws pierced her skin. The teeth never came. _

_She opened her eyes slowly. Struggling to breathe. The weight of the bear was crushing the air out of her lungs, but it had stopped moving. She looked down at her hands, blood was gushing down them, dripping onto her. She pulled the knife downwards, out of the bears chest. She didn't quite now how but. It was dead. _

_The well aimed knife to its chest had ended its life. Feeling the need to be free she wiggled her way out from underneath it. Straining at its limp weight. Dragging herself to her feet she noticed a slight pain in her side, looking down she saw claw marks and her own blood joining that of the bear on her clothes. She shivered and let the knife fall limp next to her body. Staring down at the dead creature in shock. _

_Fang couldn't believe her eyes, She had seen the bear go in for the kill and had yelled out desperately for Vanille to move. She thought she was dead, and then she had seen the glint of a blade. The bear had launched itself right onto the knife, impaling itself through the heart. _

_She was running now, as hard as her legs would allow, following the same path that Vanille had just ran across. She was yelling too, her friend stood motionless. Her arms by her side. Was she hurt? _

_"Vanille!" She reached her and instantly took her in her arms, knocking them both backwards. Vanille was trembling, her body half cold and half in shock at what had just happened. She still stood quiet, never moving. _

_"Are you alright?" Fang pulled back and quickly looked her over, forgetting her own arm, it too was running with blood. She saw the claw marks in Vanille's stomach and stood back up, the rain pouring down on them both, letting the blood mingle with the mud on the floor. _

_"I… I'm okay" Vanille said quietly, her eyes transferring to Fangs. She wasn't quite sure what had just happened, it was all over quite so fast. _

_She was wrapped in another tight hug and this one she returned. _

_"I, I thought you were dead!" Fang nearly sobbed, her voice shaky. "I've never been so scared, please don't do that again" _

_Vanille nodded against her shoulder, she had no plans to. _

_When they had both calmed down enough to speak Fang took the knife from Vanille's hand. She cut a piece from the bottom of her sari and gently wrapped it around Vanille's waist, puling it tight to stop the bleeding. Vanille than too did the same to Fangs shoulder. _

_"Why didn't you tell me you were leaving?" Vanille said quietly, Fang noticed the hurt in her voice. _

_"I didn't want to put you in danger" Fang sighed, but by not telling her she had done just that anyway. _

_"Did you think I would be able to live without you?" Vanille's voice now too sounded teary and Fang looked her in the eyes. _

_"I'm not sure what I was thinking" She admitted truthfully. "I just didn't want to see you get hurt, I'm sorry" _

_Vanille nodded in response. Her eyes falling back to the bear. This could have been a lot worse, and the words she had to say to Fang could wait until later. Right now, they needed to get back for medical supplies._

_"Here" Fang said handing her the knife. "Its your first kill" _

_Vanille took it from her. It was tradition to take a souvenir from a hunters first kill. Today she had become just that. A hunter. She was no longer a child. _

_Yet to Fang, she always would be. _

_

* * *

_

"Fang… wait, I.. I need a minute" Vanille whispered, her voice quickly snapping Fang out of her daydream.

This pace seemed like it was relentless and they weren't covering hardly any ground at all. She cringed as Fang lifted her arm from around her shoulder and gently helped her to the floor. Sweat pooled off them both, the stuffy atmosphere making them tired and dizzy. The humidity bouncing off the walls and floor making it insufferable.

They were both out of breath. Vanille tried her best not to pant, her ribs flaring up with every breath she took. Fang noted her skin was an awful shade of white. She had been trying to go slowly, but Vanille even struggled with that. She knew they needed help, they were both too dehydrated and Vanille was tiring with every step. Her battered body protesting against even walking. She had managed to cast a small amount of healing upon her leg but it had worn her down although she was able to walk without so much pain her body now screamed out in exhaustion.

"I just need a few minutes…." her voice was hoarse and she was trying to battle through. She had to be strong, for Fang and for the others but she found herself near to breaking point her head was pounding and she was more tired than she had ever known. She had never felt so helpless.

"Its alright, take your time" Fang soothed. She tucked a stray strand of hair back from Vanille's face and stroked the top of her head. This was too much. Even for them, she needed Hope or Lightning. Someone with the ability to heal. She wished that she could do it, but it was magic beyond her teaching. She cursed herself and made a mental note to get Vanille to show her when she felt better.

"Your not doing so good huh?" Fang asked quietly, she knew that the girl was trying her hardest.

"I'm fine…" Vanille was close to tears. She just hurt everywhere.

'Well' she thought to herself. 'Maybe this is payback for all of the lies you've told'

"No your not Vanille" Fang said, more harshly than she had intended. The heat was making her annoyed. "Your not in this alone anymore. Just let me help you once in a while" She sighed looking away. Vanille didn't have to act like everything was fine when it wasn't. She sighed. The girl had always been the same. Everyone thought Fang was the tough one but underneath it all she didn't know a single person that could hold their own like Vanille. Always the dark horse. Fang had been the only one growing up that could break down her defensive barriers and see right into her.

"Fang…" Vanille began. She wanted to explain, yet the words just wouldn't come. She wanted to scream out all of the lies she had told but she knew that she had told them for a reason. It was eating her up from the inside. That and the pain, the heat of the day and the tired feeling that had overcome her.

"I.."

She didn't even know where to begin. But Fang knew she didn't have to, instead she just scooted her body next to her and pulled her into a firm but gentle hug.

"Hey… your okay, I've got you." Fang whispered, she could feel the girls body shaking with unshed emotion. She was well and truly worked up about something.

"I just… I just hurt everywhere, I'm slowing you down. You… you should go help the others." she cried the sobs making her barely audible.

"Hey listen to me" Fang could feel her own heart breaking. "Your no hindrance you hear me? Its my fault this happened and I promise, we will get through this. I will keep you safe" She felt another familiar stab of guilt at her words knowing she was the reason they were even in this mess.

"I'm not leaving you here so just forget it. Were in this together" Fangs own voice was cracking and she felt the need to hold her just a little bit tighter.

Vanille curled closer to Fang, ignoring the pain. She felt safe when she was in Fangs arms and it made her feel slightly happier that she had her to lean on. Fang had always been there when she needed her. Her rock that she could depend on for anything.

"Hey, its okay" Fang soothed. She had been in this situation many times when they were growing up, Vanille always cried in her sleep. And Fang had always been there to make the nightmares go away. As the tears began to subside Vanille pulled away slightly wiping at her eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, you hear me? None of this is your fault."

'If only that was true' she thought. 'All of this is my fault' She just smiled back hoping that Fang took it as a real one. She knew that deep down Fang knew something wasn't right, she couldn't hide forever but for now, she had to. Just for a little while longer.

* * *

"Eugh, Lightning, you okay?"

She could hear the voice, see a slight shadow hovering above her but her eyesight was too fuzzy to realise who had spoken. Whoever it was sounded a little worried.

'I wonder why?'

"Earth to sis"

"Snow…" she raised her pounding head off the floor and his smug face finally came into focus, what was she doing lying down anyway?

"Are you alright?" He smiled at her in that annoying kind of way. "That bomb really knocked you for six!"

She grunted in return, mad at the fact she had the embarrassment of showing a slight weakness in front of everyone.

"What happened?" She asked, her voice slightly shaky. Wow that hurt.

"It self destructed, I think you might have been stood just a little too close" he laughed, seeing Lightning knocked down was an extremely rare thing and he had to admit she had worried him for a second.

"Yeah well I'm fine. No permanent damage" She was pleased to hear that her usual brisk tone had reappeared in her voice. They were still in Mah'habara, weaving their way though underground tunnels it was an impossible task and they all longed to escape and finally see the blue sky outside. But they knew the task at hand was more important, Fang and Vanille were cut off from the rest of them, they had to find a way around as fast as possible.

Lightning had, of course been pushing them all to their maximum, time was running out. Not only for Vanille, but for the rest of them. With each moment they wasted their brands grew just ever so slightly closer to turning them into Cie'th. She looked over at Hope, he was aiming cure spells at Sazh. It seemed she wasn't the only one caught off guard. She couldn't let him be a Cie'th. Never.

Snow reached a hand down to her and she ignored it. Wobbling she dragged herself to her feet. She just needed to get her bearings back that was all.

The next thing she knew not only she, but everyone stood around her were no longer on their feet but all sprawled across the floor of the cave. The ground had given a violent shudder and had seemed like the earth was going to fall away at any moment.

"Wh… What the hell is that?" Hope stuttered as he tried to get to his feet again.

"I'm not sure…" Lightning replied. Was it some kind of monster? Anything was possible on Pulse.

The cavern before them burst open as what seemed to be a whirling ball of fire dug its way through the tunnel. On closer inspection it was a metal sphere, strange orange spikes stuck out and into the ground giving it the leverage to move tonnes of rubble from its path. It was impressive and it was fast. Just as soon as it had appeared it had gone again, the sounds floating into silence once more.

"Hmm. That must be the fal'Cie that Fang mentioned" Sazh said pulling Snow to his feet. "Didn't she say it was the one responsible for digging these tunnels out?"

Lightning nodded in agreement. She had known that a fal'Cie created all of this but she didn't think it would have been quite as powerful as that.

"It nearly took us out" Hope whined, he hated this place. It gave him the creeps.

"Yeah, better stay away" Sazh nodded.

"Your kidding" Lightning had a glint in her eyes that no one liked the look of.

"That's our ticket out of here…"

* * *

**A.N**

**So this one is a little longer. And I just had to put the whole "Vanille kills bear" Thing in there somewhere, I've always wanted to write about that one. Anyway I hoped you liked it! **


	7. Driving Forward

**Hmmm. Sorry its been a few days since I updated, I've been a tiny bit busy with work! As usual! I would like to thank those of you that reviewed. Its nice to get a bit of feedback. And this time I promise the next chapter will be up tomorrow because its nearly written now I just need sleep!**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx**

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"Hey Kiddo, you hear that right?" Fang looked sideways at the young girl. She had her arm firmly over Fangs shoulders, her weight supported as much as possible off her bad leg.

"Your kidding, I felt it more like" she huffed back, the ground had trembled slightly beneath her feet sending a shockwave of pain through her leg and up through her body.

"You okay?" Fang voiced, concerned. She pulled her up slightly to take even more weight off her injury. Doing this earned her a hiss from the younger girl.

"Sorry…" Fang whispered, forgetting that the girls ribs also hurt. She had to be careful. The last thing she wanted to do was to cause the girl more pain.

"I'm okay, its just a bit sore" Vanille half grunted, gritting her teeth together.

"Lets take a breather then yeah?" Fang whispered, clutching Vanille's wrist tighter to stop her from slipping.

"No… I… we need to keep moving" she panted, her voice slightly lower than usual.

Fang sighed quietly, she was tired. It was tough on Vanille for sure but Fang was feeling it too. Carrying her was taking its toll and she hadn't been sleeping much either, she didn't feel happy falling asleep with Vanille so vulnerable.

"You don't have to push yourself so hard." Fang whispered, she carefully removed Vanille's arm and lowered her down. To much protest.

Vanille hated sitting still, she hurt everywhere but she wanted to drive on. The caves making her feel claustrophobic and cold. The sooner she could see the sky she would be happy. Wincing as she sat down she thought back to the group they had been forced to leave behind. She hoped they were all okay. It seemed lonely without them, she had grown so used to everyone being around it felt strange to be just with Fang again.

"You now what that rumbling was right?" Fang broke through her thoughts, her voice cheerier than it had been for a while.

"Atomos yeah" Vanille nodded back. She knew it meant there might be some hope at the end of the tunnel. It was about time, they were both totally run down. Her voice was slightly husky due to lack of water, dehydration setting in with the both of them. The only water they were hanging on to was being sweated out with the constant exercise. She was also hungry, but that she could deal with. On Pulse it was sometimes days before a hunter came back with something to eat. It was a feeling she was well used to.

"So you know that means we cant be far from the others, if they have any sense they would have followed it too." Fang nodded wisely.

She was right though, her and Vanille had spoken about how the fal'Cie could carry passengers too and fro a destination. If they had any sense they would have followed Atomos through the caverns and if they carried on heading towards it too they would soon be reunited.

Vanille looked up ahead into the caverns, something had caught her eye. Fang hadn't noticed but she could have sworn she saw something move. She shook her head, the dark was playing tricks on her.

"What's the matter?" Fang asked, looking over her shoulder to where Vanille's eyes were fixed, squinting she could see nothing.

"I thought I saw something, its probably nothing. Just tiredness I guess" Fang noted how the spark had gone from her voice. The young girl was struggling, her usual cheeriness gone. She didn't like it.

"Tell you what I'll go look" Fang added. Something to give Vanille a little piece of mind. They were both on edge and it had been too quiet lately. It made her shudder, she was really beginning to hate this place. It held none of the magic it used too. Everything that had once been here had been destroyed while they were in crystal slumber. It was no longer the Gran Pulse she used to love as a child.

She rose to her feet, her tired muscles screaming out in protest. She was reluctant to leave Vanille even for a minute, but it had to be done.

"Sit tight" She whispered, patting the girls head carefully, she avoided the cut on her hairline which was still sore, it had however ceased bleeding.

"I'll be back in a sec"

Vanille nodded.

"Be quick"

Vanille looked on ahead as Fang made her way down the tunnel and into the darkness.

Fang could see something now too, a flash of fire, lighting up and then vanishing. 'How strange' She thought to herself. Not many creatures used fire for no reason. She strode out faster curious but apprehensive at the same time. It was bound to be some kind of creature but she was confident she could stay out of its way. As she moved on ahead she could see the silhouette of something big ahead in the darkness and it wasn't until she was nearly upon it that she saw what it was.

"Not again" she whispered to herself. It was the same Juggernaut from before. She could tell from the slight dent she had imprinted with her lance. It was the reason they were stuck down here.

And this time. It was blocking the way out.

* * *

Truth be told, she was just fed up of running. And that, in itself was quite an achievement.

Lightning was doubled over, her sides heaving, which for the pink haired soldier was not a regular occurrence. Her fitness was at a very high standard, high enough for her to trek all day and feel only slightly fatigued. At the pace she was travelling however, it was wearing even her down. She didn't regret the decision to push on by herself. The rest of her little group had stayed back, and she had gone on alone. To much protest. Amazingly after everything that had happened Snow still carried with him his wireless earpiece, the same one she and Fang had been using back on cocoon, and even more incredibly, it worked here on Pulse. Which was odd seeming it was a separate planet.

They could take all the help they could get. And that was most definitely a help.

Lightning Farron had never been one to sit around and do noting and to be honest, the slow pace her companions were travelling at was driving her insane. Still, there was an uproar of disagreements when she had voiced that she would be going forward alone. Seeing the look of hurt on Hope's face when she told him he couldn't go with her had saddened her but she could still talk with them wirelessly and if they ran into any trouble she would know about it. It was a handy little communication to have.

Once her breathing had calmed down enough for her to push on she began picking up the trail with a brisk walk. One she always wore in front of everyone else. It was a kind of proud 'no nonsense' type of posture, it tended to make her appear more mature than her age suggested.

She was restless, she knew that her friends needed her help and although she appeared cold hearted on the outside on the inside, she would do anything she needed to get the two women back. She found it hard to shake the images from her mind, it was as if they were haunting her, pushing her forward in desperation.

She was finding it rather hard to keep up her usual persona, in fact she was sure that underneath all of the dust and the sweat you would be able to see faint lines of worry etched across her face.

She had suggested that they all take different routes through the caverns, she had decided that she would take up the responsibility of finding Fang and Vanille and the others would try and track down Atomos, the wild fal'Cie. Not an easy task by any means but then again, neither was hers.

She had decided that she would cover the ground better; thus providing her a better candidate for a one-woman search party.

She was slightly beginning to wish she had company, at least someone to drive her forward. She couldn't recall ever being afraid of much but in this place, it was hard to keep your emotions in check. Her acute senses weren't working properly, her eyesight disadvantaged by the dark and her sense of smell obscured by the dust found all around her. Gran Pulse was one big survival test and one by one, they were all being sought out. She shook her head, shaking with it all thoughts and pictures from her mind. She needed to think, if not to find her way then to dodge all of the enemies she had been coming into contact with.

Down here, it wasn't too hard. She found she could simply melt into the shadows and appear completely disguised by the dark coloured walls. Her light clothing was so covered in dust and mud it was nearly the same colour as the surrounding rocks. She realised though, she had to keep her hand pressed against her shoulder, obscuring the two glowing stripes. She wasn't even sure why she kept them on now, it wasn't like she was still a sergeant. She had given up on that when she first boarded the purge train, when she had first took on the mission of saving Serah. Then again none of that would matter if none of them got out of here.

She rounded the next bend with cautious steps, she couldn't see too far ahead but noticed the ceiling here looked higher, the walls grainier and less stable. Her heart skipped a beat. Her senses were telling her that this place was familiar to her. It looked more unstable than the rest of the caverns, older perhaps. The roof over her had large cracks running through it and she noticed her feet didn't sound so loudly on the floor. Inspecting this she found the floor to be covered in a large layer of small rubble and dust. She was getting closer.

Rushing forward now she soon came to the other side of the cave in. The tunnel completely blocked off by the familiar boulders she had seen a few days back staring down at her once more. She looked around desperately, Fang and Vanille were nowhere to be found.

"That's a good thing right?" She whispered to herself, she hoped that meant that they were unharmed. Her heart felt slightly lighter at the thought. Picking up the earpiece she quickly fiddled with it and set it to what she had been instructed to do.

"Hey Light" Snow piped up, wow that was loud. She cringed and pulled the speaker away from her ears slightly. Ever cautious she spoke in a lower tone, almost a whisper.

"I've found the cave in, they don't seem to be here" straight to the point, as usual.

"You're kidding? That's great news!" he once again yelled, she heard him tell everyone what she had said.

"Not yet" She answered, "I'm going to push on ahead and see if I can find them. Keep trying to catch that thing."

"Will do" Snow replied, "Be careful"

"Tsk" She quickly disconnected the earpiece, its blue light giving off more of a beacon than she would have liked. Who was he to tell her to be careful, wasn't her always the one to charge in headfirst when things got heated?

Besides she could take care of herself.

She noted her surroundings, checking for any marks that would help her determine what direction she needed to be heading in, forward was of course the only option, back the way she had came but after that she had no idea. She had already woven through a maze of tunnels. She doubted she could find her way back to the others even if she had too. Not at least until they had more help on their side. She just wasn't sure how they would catch the fal'Cie once they found it. But that was up to them. She had bigger things to worry about. She was always taught to never leave someone behind, no matter how desperate the situation looked. She hoped by pressing on she would uncover any tracks the pair might have made.

She didn't have to look far, she was squinting down at the ground, something was laid right by her feet. Kneeling down she gave the item a general inspection, on closer look she felt her heart sink back down again, the elated feeling she had been previously feeling left her.

It was a piece of material she clutched in her grasp, one that was not barely recognised. Torn, she noted from the bottom of a piece of clothing. She knew who's as well.

A piece of Fang's sari. But it was no longer blue, it was blood soaked. Someone was injured, and by the looks of things badly. She knew it had to be Vanille, if it was Fang, Vanille would have healed her and had no need for material. But she knew healing was a magic that Fang didn't yet know.

She raised herself back to her feet, an unsettled feeling weighed upon her. Surely they couldn't have gone too far, not if Vanille was hurt. If she pushed herself on she should find them fairly quickly.

She had to.

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**Well I know there isn't really too much going on in this chapter and it's a little shorter than the rest. Its just leading up to the next one and I didn't want to put the both of them together. :D**

**Thanks for reading : )**


	8. Juggernaut

**Hello! Well as promised here's the next bit.**

**I would like to thank Tear of Light. My only reviewer, its nice to know however that people are still reading this one : ) since it is far from finished yet!**

**Anyway on with the story!**

**xx**

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She noticed, as she walked on through the darkness that it was becoming increasingly hotter. The humidity had risen around her and she soon found herself sweeping beads of sweat from her eyes. She had been jogging along for a while now her footsteps echoing off the lonely walls. She was uneasy, it had been far too quiet for a while now.

She found herself with her weapon automatically at hand, her attention focused. The hair on the back of her neck crept up and stood to attention, she shivered. Even though it was hot the uneasy feeling sent a wave of cold through her.

She knew she couldn't be too far behind. Her pace was relentless, so much in fact that for the past few hours she had been neglecting calling in with the others. Well they hadn't contacted her either so she presumed everything would be fine.

Seeing a slight glow up ahead she brought herself to a sudden standstill, she had half expected to have found Fang and Vanille by now, judging on how bad Vanille was hurt they couldn't have trekked too far ahead.

She was relying heavily on her instinct to tell her which way she should be travelling, her gut feeling. Which these days she found herself using more and more. Her lack of judgement seemed to be slipping slightly.

'Humph' she sighed. 'Maybe I'm getting soft'

She noticed that she was stepping with more care as she continued forwards, something she seemed to do without realising, perhaps it was all the training she had received as a soldier but perhaps it was just her.

Either way she felt as if she was looking over her shoulder all of the time. And Lightning rarely did such a thing.

The glow up ahead was disappearing and appearing again faster now and she was curious. She felt as if she had seen something do the same before, but couldn't quite figure out what.

Her eyes were so focused on the path ahead she hadn't noticed the object she nearly tripped over until the last second.

'Wait a second' her heart leapt in her chest as her eyes fell upon the object in question.

"Vanille!" she exclaimed. The girl was leant against the rock wall of the caverns, seemingly asleep. Her skin looking eerily pale against the dark walls. Lightning noticed the trails of blood that had run from her head and the way she seemed to hold herself, even in slumber, away from one side of her body.

She was careful then as she gently shook her shoulders, hoping the young girl was well enough to open her eyes and smile as usual.

"Vanille" she repeated this time a little more softly, relieved as she began to stir from her sleep.

Vanille's eyes grew wide at the young woman before her, her pink hair instantly alerting her to who she was looking upon.

"Lightning!" Vanille couldn't believe what she was seeing.

"Are you alright?" Lightning asked, studying her further. 'Of course not, stupid question' she thought to herself.

"Here, lie still" Lightning offered, feeling the magic running through her hands and down to Vanille, the bright blue light engulfed her and she saw that her magic was working, as always.

Vanille closed her eyes, the warm feeling washing over her as she felt her cuts and abrasions heal up. Faster than she was expecting. Lightning was a better healer than everyone was giving her credit for.

"Where's Fang?" Lightning found herself asking as she worked, snapping Vanille out of her thoughts.

Opening her eyes she nodded down the tunnel.

"Scouting ahead, I thought I saw something" Vanille smiled, she could feel some of her strength returning and the painful ache in her leg getting increasingly better with each second. Her expression then turned slightly more to worry.

"But she's been gone a fair while…"

"Don't worry, Fang can look after herself, we need to get you sorted first though" Lightning felt as if part of a weight had been lifted off her shoulders, she had found one half of her mission, battered and bruised but very much alive.

She felt herself growing slightly tired, the magic taking some of her energy with it. Vanille must have been hurt worse than she thought.

"What happened to you guys" she half whispered, curious to how they had survived at all.

"Its all a bit fuzzy" Vanille sighed. "I remember hearing you yell to me, then everything sort of went blank. Fang dug me out of the rubble"

She looked around, back the way Lightning had come from.

"Where's everyone else?"

"Trying to find that damned fal'Cie" Lightning voiced.

"Atomos?" Vanille half giggled. "Yeah good luck, you'll need more than a few l'Cie to stop that guy"

Lightning had stopped healing now, confident that she had done a good job.

"How's that, do you feel any better?"

Vanille was almost scared to move but gingerly stretched her leg out in front of her and gave her foot a wiggle.

She nodded.

"Much, thank you"

"Do you think you can stand?" Lightning offered a hand down to her and she took it, slowly pulling herself to her feet.

She felt wobbly, still not back to full strength but a lot better than she had been before.

"You still need to take it easy, you've taken quite a beating" Vanille was sure she could see the same little spark of compassion she had seen back on the Archylte Steppe when Lightning had healed her from the behemoth. It was true she did feel unsteady.

"Here" Lightning kept her arm around the young girls waist, just for a while as they walked on.

"We need to find Fang, was she hurt?" Lightning once again got straight to the point.

Vanille shook her head.

"No, a bit of a bump but that's all I think"

"Well, she is hard headed" Lightning smirked and Vanille nearly recoiled. It was the first time she had seen the tough soldier smile. It suited her beyond belief. Lightning raised an eyebrow at Vanille's gaze and the girl quickly looked away, her face going red.

Her embarrassment was cut short by a familiar battle cry up ahead. It made her shudder.

"Wait here" Lightning said quickly, removing her hand from around her waist. Vanille still felt a bit weak at the knees so she leant herself against the nearest wall.

"Stay out of this one" The soldier added. "Your not strong enough to use magic yet"

Vanille nodded. Was that concern in the pink haired woman's voice?

* * *

Fang's day had taken a turn for the worse.

She never did have the best of luck with things. Stupidly, she had been looking for a way around the monster that stood before her. The big hunk of metal that she really despised at the moment. Not once but twice it had disadvantaged them.

And now for a third time. She had made, as per usual a little too much noise and in doing so had alerted her prescience.

But what could she do. Now it had seen her there was no running, the only way was back to Vanille and she wasn't going to put her in any danger. She reached round and took her lance from its holster across her back. This wasn't going to be easy.

She decided to wait for it to make the first move, which it did fairly quickly. Grasping her lance tightly before her she braced herself for its powerful fire attack. She felt the flames sear at her shoulders as it hit her guarding shield.

Once it had passed, she quickly leapt up on her toes and landed a few blows against its metal body. Not even scratching the metal alloy. She knew this was going to be hopeless, without the power of Vanille's magic by her side.

It was going to be a very one sided battle, Fang knew she was a strong Commando, stronger perhaps than Lightning herself. But that alone wouldn't win her this one.

She hoped that Vanille was alright, she had after all promised her she would be back in a minute and she was in no fit state to be left alone for a long time. She felt guilty for leaving the injured young woman at all. But at least she knew there were no more creatures back the way they had come. She needed to focus on this one now, however long it took.

She was at a huge disadvantage, its fire attacks were strong against her already dehydrated body. Making her sweat out more water than she knew she had left. Regardless she raised her lance once again but was cut short by its wrecking ball.

At least the cavern here was more stable, she figured it was a new build and Atomos couldn't be too far away. She hoped, it would hold long enough for her to finish this guy off, grunting she swung her lance down upon one of its metal arms. Feeling slight satisfaction as she saw it bend slightly, disadvantaging it . Leaping backwards she readied herself to spring as another flame came her way, she dove down to the floor. The fire swishing above her head and then back again.

She raised to her feet, panting. She was more fatigued than she thought.

It swung its injured arm towards her, unable to produce fire from that side it decided to use the heavy metal as a weapon instead. She dived to the side, catching a glancing blow on her shoulder. It knocked her backwards slightly making her unable to avoid the next swing as it came back, she grimaced and covered her head with her arms.

Hearing a slight chink of metal on metal she looked back up, wide eyed at the sight before her.

Lightning Farron had just saved _her._

The woman had her blade against its body, blocking its attack. She was slipping backward slightly with the impact, pushing her blade back from her own body. Muscles screaming out as she tested its strength.

"Lightning?" Fang asked open mouthed.

"Don't just stand there!" Lightning growled back. Fang shook her head and leapt up to take some of the force off her saviour. Grunting they pushed its arm back between them, making it stumble backwards slightly.

"What are you doing here? Did you find Vanille?" She asked hurriedly, her voice giving a slight pant.

"Yeah, what were you doing leaving her?" Fang was surprised at the anger in Lightning's voice. "She's fine, I've healed her. She's just a bit shaky."

Fang breathed a sigh of relief but was brought back to reality by the Juggernauts next attack. She felt slightly stronger now, with Lightning by her side. Her confidence coming back to her.

Now it had no chance, or so she thought.

They didn't have much experience with these sort of creatures yet and even she was unsure of the best technique, but they were tougher now there was some magic in the fray and not just her forceful attacks.

Lightning had noticed the burns across Fangs shoulders and hit her with a well aimed cure spell, her anger temporarily misplaced. She wasn't even sure why she felt so protective over Vanille. Its not really as if she knew the girl. However it seemed ever since she had poured her heart out to Lightning she felt a little softer towards the young redhead.

She saw Fang nod her thanks and then she set out to complete the task at hand.

* * *

Vanille had to admit, she was still feeling slightly funny. Her knees were weak and her body shook with simple movement. She couldn't recall ever feeling this way. She guessed it was the blood loss that had done it, even though Lightning had healed her she couldn't replace what was lost.

She looked longingly down the tunnel, she could see the battle from where she stood, but she didn't trust her own feet to carry her forwards to help. She wasn't even sure if she could help.

She had to try, she knew they would struggle without her. It was hard for three people to take something down that size let alone two, and besides. She wasn't running anymore. She had promised herself that.

Shakily, she stepped off the wall, stumbling slightly forwards but regaining her balance fairly easy. Her strength would return in time, she felt a little stronger than she did when Lightning had first healed her.

She made her way slightly towards where the two women were fighting, she could see them performing an array of attacks. Fangs well aimed and strong and Lightning's more acrobatically performed and fluid. She had to admit, she was ever so slightly annoyed. She wished she could fight like them. Sure she had a little luck on her side now and then but she wasn't physically able to attack like them. At least her magic was strong when she was well, that would just have to do.

She sighed, and she could heal them when they needed it. She wasn't too sure however just how her spells would turn out. Yet she could already see blood running from the two women. More so from Fang, she sighed. Fang was never one to lay low and keep out of the way. Lightning however, was constantly moving, evading most attacks and only getting caught every now and again.

She bunched her strength together and threw a cura spell in the direction of the two women. She could imagine Lightning's anger at her now, even before she had seen her. She had told her to stay low, yet she refused to be a coward any more.

The blue light hit its targets, instantly healing up their small wounds. They both turned, their expressions surprised. She gave a small smile, hoping Lightning would forget to be angry.

Lightning didn't have the time anyway. In all honesty she was feeling more pride than anger. At least she hadn't expected the young woman to follow her. She was surprised she even could.

Fang was just feeling relief, she had seen with her own eyes now that Vanille was safe.

The battle seemed effortless to them now, Vanille helping here and there, but the older two women staying out of its way the best they could. It wasn't long before the Juggernaut was on the ground. Completely defeated.

Lightning stood panting, flipping her blade round she re-holstered it with one stroke. Standing herself straight, she was glad that was over. Trust Fang to pick on something that big.

She made a mental note to yell at her for what happened later. Right now they had more important things to deal with. When her breathing had settled down she decided that now was the perfect time to call in on the others. She hoped they had had better luck than her.

Vanille sunk down to her knees, she was feeling slightly light headed. Her magic taking more out of her than usual due to her weakness. Fang was soon by her side and had her pulled into a tight hug, now that she could do it without hurting her. She was pleased. It felt good to be hugged tight again.

"You okay?" Fang whispered into her ear. "You really had me worried" She didn't want to let go of the girl. She knew it had been touch and go with her for a while and was just happy she was going to be alright.

"I'm fine" Vanille smiled. 'On the outside at least' She thought. "Really, no harm done. I'm still feeling a little dizzy, but Lightning did a good job"

"Remind me to thank her" Fang whispered back. Finally letting her go and looking into her bright green eyes, smiling. It was nice to have the old happy Vanille back again.

"Hey Sazh" Lightning's voice made them both turn around. Vanille wondered who she was talking too, she hadn't seen the devices before but Fang soon explained what they were.

"Light, any luck?" Sazh replied, his voice loud enough for all three of them to hear.

"You don't need to shout Sazh" Lightning sighed, "I'm not deaf"

"Sorry, I'm just not used to these things" Lightning could almost see him scratching his head in frustration like he always did, yet he hadn't dropped his voice at all.

"I've found them if that's what you mean" she replied, her voice blunt.

"That's great!" She heard Snow in the background. "Everyone okay?" Lightning looked over at the two women.

"Yeah, they are now. What about you any luck?"

"Yep, we've hit gold." she could nearly see Snows sheepish grin, she was impressed. But not as much as Vanille.

"But how? That's impossible!" She nearly yelled.

"Long story kid, we'll tell you when we get there. Its nice to hear your voice" Vanille felt herself blush. "Besides, Lights going to kill someone when she finds out what he did"

"Who?" Lightning was now a little curious.

"Hope" Snow laughed. Lightning heard Hope yell a little "Hey! You said you wouldn't tell!" in the background and she rolled her eyes, she didn't even want to know.

"Hang tight sis, we'll be there ASAP" Snow added.

* * *

**A/N.**

**:D I'm quite happy with this one., happier at least than the last chapter.**

**It's a little longer than the others and took a good while to write… I'll update again tomorrow sometime : )**


	9. Remembering What Was Lost

**Hey guys, I'm staying true to my word and I'm updating as often as I get the chance for. Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapter they really so spur me on to keep writing this one, this one is a little bit darker as I'm exploring more of Vanille's past. **

**Anyway, an with the story! **

**Xx**

* * *

"I never wanted to remember that day, not really. The only person who knew what happened was Fang." Vanille's voice was solemn, her eyes averted away from her companions and fixed firmly on her feet. She was sat with her legs pulled up to her chest leaning against the cold stone wall.

Night had fallen again, and it was now a waiting game. It was dark all of the time in the caverns but the temperature indicated that it was no longer daytime. Lightning had once again leant Vanille the red cape she usually wore, slung over the back of her shoulders. So the cold didn't bite to her skin like it usually would.

Lightning was listening carefully, she wasn't much one to be curious with peoples personal lives she preferred to keep herself to herself and liked when people did the same. Yet she could see the same pain in the young girls eyes as she knew resided behind her own baby blues.

"If its too difficult…" she began. She had asked the simple question of what Oerba was like growing up, curious as to how a village here on Gran Pulse could be anything resembling homely. What she had seen so far, she couldn't imagine growing up on such a brutal planet.

Vanille had fallen silent then, just for a while. Wondering how to answer the soldier, Fang was also sat in silence knowing that remembering the past was a difficult thing. Not so much to think about as to talk out loud, it made everything seem harder. They had both been through so much.

"No… You asked me, so I'll tell" The young woman continued. In all honesty she was pleased the soldier had asked at all. She didn't think she cared enough to want to know. It was nice to know she was as human as the rest of them.

And Lightning was waiting patiently now, for the young l'Cie to start her tale.

* * *

_Back then, Vanille's life was perfect. _

_Her family had been small, Vanille was an only child, her parents thrilled with the fact they had been blessed with a daughter. _

_Both of her parents were farmers, their smallholding sat right on the outskirts of the village. She never really had much contact with the village inhabitants only when they took the crops to market, and then her father rarely took her with him. She didn't go to school, she was happy working down on the farm with her father and helping her mother in the house. _

_It was a relatively isolated life, but she didn't mind. There was never any reason for her to want anything, nothing more than she already had anyway. Her mother was tall, her long dark hair down to the middle of her back, brushed back neatly. Her father was more of a rugged character, his hair a deep fiery red, wild and untamed. He was a kind man who put his family before anything else. _

_There was of course a down side to living so lonely. They had constantly been pestered by monsters for as long as Vanille could remember. Her father was a great fighter, he was able to keep them from harm most of the time. The other times they would hide out in the cellar until the danger had passed. _

_They didn't keep livestock, something Vanille had been disappointed about. She loved animals but her father had said it was too dangerous as wild creatures would be drawn to the smell. Either way they lived comfortably on the earnings they took each year. _

_And this day hadn't been different, well it didn't start out that way. _

_Vanille had been outside, helping her father with one of the items of machinery. She loved to tinker with things, she found it a very good way to pass the time. They had been laughing together at how, no matter what, Vanille always seemed to get covered with grease and oil even though she rarely touched anything. _

_It was while they were laughing that they heard the scream. And then everything changed. _

_Vanille could remember being scared, her heart pounding in her chest as her father told her to stay hidden and to keep quiet. She knew the scream had come from the house, from her dear mother. She was trembling, worried about her mother and scared for her own safety. Shuffling her feet she looked around the garage, there wasn't really anywhere she could hide. It was all so open. _

_Hearing another scream she made up her mind to follow her father. She was sprinting now, across the well groomed lawn towards their quaint little house. She didn't know what to do, her nine years of age too young to understand what danger she could be putting herself in. _

_Bursting through the front door she couldn't prepare herself for the sight that lay ahead. _

_She could see blood, lots of blood. The kitchen lay in ruins, pots and pans were strewn everywhere. Cupboard doors were torn open and claw marks resided in the plaster on the walls. She shivered, it was too silent. _

_Creeping forwards she gingerly pushed open the door to their living room, bracing herself for what she might see. _

_Her hands flew to her mouth in shock at the sight before her, her mother it seemed had been dragged through by some kind of creature, she was laid right in the middle of the room, her eyes wide open and fixed on the ceiling, Vanille could see bite marks in her skin running down from her neck made by something with long fangs. Her skin was white and crimson blood was running down onto the carpet beneath her. _

_Vanille was rooted to the spot, tears silently falling down her face. She didn't need to be older to know her mother was dead, murdered. _

_She looked away, the image staying with her, one that she knew would stay with her for a long time to come. Stumbling back into the kitchen she sunk to her knees. Where was her father? Where was anyone that could help? _

_She wanted to scream out in agony but her voice wouldn't come, she couldn't muster even the sound to call her fathers name, she just let the sobs wrack through her body relentlessly. She soon felt strong arms wrap around her as she was pulled into an embrace by her father. _

"_D…Dad?" She managed to splutter. _

"_Vanille, you need to go" he said hurriedly, his voice scaring the young girl. "Remember what I said, you need to run!" _

_Vanille couldn't, she didn't want to leave his side. She shook her head burying it back into his chest. _

"_You must, quickly" _

_She could hear a faint growl now, seemingly coming from upstairs, her body froze. She had never heard anything like it. Her father pulled her to her feet roughly, giving her a shake. _

"_Get behind me!" He yelled pushing her backwards. She hit the floor again and just looked up in time to see something pounce right at the both of them. He threw himself in the way, capturing its attention from Vanille. She found her voice and screamed as she saw its strong claws pin him to the floor and its sharp teeth bite down. She couldn't look. She studied the kitchen desperately, she couldn't get to the cellar, it was behind the monster. There was only one more place she could go._

_Turning heel she did what her father had asked and bolted for the back door, hoping she could run somewhere, anywhere. She felt another sob come as she ran past her mother, closing her eyes so she didn't have to remember the horror. Her feet were carrying her faster now, across the rough terrain at the back. She tripped, and could feel a stinging sensation across her knees but she quickly picked herself up and ran on. Not stopping for a second. Her lungs were burning through lack of oxygen and a red mist of exhaustion had descended across her eyes. Her legs seemed to be moving themselves now, her mind not paying attention to where they were going. Reaching some trees she ran to the one her father had shown her. _

_Nimbly she jumped up and grabbed the first branch. Pulling her light body up with difficulty, her shaking muscles protesting their lack of oxygen. _

_She could still hear her fathers voice in her head. _

"_Look there Vanille, that should be high enough for nothing to reach us, if the time comes where we have to flee" _

_She had been confused by his words but now she heeded them. They gave her a little glimmer of hope. Upon reaching the top she stopped abruptly listening to the sounds behind her. She wasn't sure whether it had followed her but she knew she should be safe if she kept quiet so she resigned herself to sitting still, mulling over what had happened. _

_She couldn't recall how many hours had passed before darkness fell but she just stayed there anyway, her tears falling until she couldn't cry anymore. _

_Looking down at the dark ground she knew all had fallen silent. She didn't know what that creature was, she wouldn't even begin to know why it was at her house to start with, but she knew she couldn't stay in the tree forever and so she lightly jumped down branch to branch, ignoring the cuts and scrapes that came with her movements._

_She walked on then, aimlessly and soon found herself back at the wide open door of her house. She was emotionally distant now, as she walked in she sunk down next to her father. Knowing that he too was dead. She allowed herself to hug his body close, ignoring the blood that was seeping onto her she carefully closed his green eyes. His lifeless expression haunting her. She cried again then, more than she knew she could. Her life had suddenly become her worst enemy and she silently wished that she could have stayed and joined them in death. _

_It just wasn't worth it anymore. _

_She stayed by their side for what felt like days, even though it was only hours until the sun rose across once more and the morning light beamed in through the windows and the still open doors. She felt numb, devoid of emotion. Her terror gone, only sadness and hate remained. It was a feeling she wasn't used to. How could something be ripped from you in a matter of seconds?_

_She didn't even hear the townsfolk come in. They had seen the blood stained beast rushing out of the house and had come to help. She didn't look up as their hushed whispers and pale faces took in all that had happened. She couldn't care less what happened now, her life was already over. She had nothing. _

_Quietly, one had approached her. A young man, strong looking. She had heard him whisper something for reassurance before he scooped her small body up in his arms and marched her away from everything she once loved. She didn't look back. Too many images were flashing through her head._

_She didn't think she would ever know happiness again._

* * *

"But that's when I met Fang" Vanille could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, "She had just lost everything too, we were one and the same" She looked up at her friend and could see she was facing away, her own eyes glistening.

Lightning had been listening in silence, what this girl had been through. What both of them had been through made her problems seem small. Yes she too had lost her parents young but to see them brutally butchered before you…

"We helped each other through it" Vanille added, giving Lightning a small smile. "And we've never been apart since, well except when we were separated on cocoon." She shivered. Remembering how lonely she had been feeling, it nearly matched what she had been feeling back on Oerba.

"And I vowed never to see you hurt again" This time Fang chipped in, her voice bitter. "I've failed that many times"

"And none of them were your fault" Vanille cut her off sharply, "Everything that has happened I've brought upon myself"

"Humph, whatever you want to believe" Fang looked away, Vanille's story had brought back painful memories for her too.

Lightning was still fixed on the young girls expression. 'Well at least I know why she cries at night' she thought. She thought she would too if she had seen half those things. Yet she couldn't shake the feeling that something was still bothering the youngest woman. Something she was hiding.

She sighed, they would find out in time, everything always comes to the surface.

The cave around them began to shake, violent shudders shot through the floor and they struggled to raise themselves to their feet, both Fang and Lightning pulling Vanille to hers and holding her steady.

A whirling ball of metal shot through the tunnels and stopped just before them next to a pile of rocks, jumping down Snow, Sazh and Hope emerged, looking slightly green.

"Whoa, does he have to spin so fast?" Hope said looking a little worse for wear.

"Fang, Vanille!" Snow yelled happily bounding forward and giving them both an awkward tap on the head. Looking down at Vanille he gave her a puzzled look.

"You alright kiddo? You don't look so good."

"I will be" She replied truthfully.

"She was hurt pretty bad" Lightning added, "I've healed her but she needs to take it easy. Something that is becoming increasingly difficult around here"

Vanille smiled as Hope took her in a light hug and whispered that it was nice to see her. She could almost see the look of embarrassment across his face. She giggled slightly and returned the hug making him blush harder.

"So where does this thing take us to?" Lightning nodded up at Atomos.

"Sulyya Springs" Vanille and Fang chorused.

"I like it there" Vanille piped up.

"Yeah" Fang added "Lots of flowers right?"

The young woman nodded. Vanille looked round at her new found family and smiled. She had missed this, everyone bantering away as if their focus didn't really matter. It almost made her forget how little time they had left together. But she was sure, deep down.

Things would all work out in the end.

* * *

**A.N**

**Okay, so hmmm, I didn't intend to make this one quite so dark, but it ended up that way. So I hope its not being too mean to Vanille : ) **

**I always imagined her and Fang having a traumatic past… Fangs I will get to… at some point :D **

**Thanks for reading! **


	10. Finding Peace

**A/N. **

**I just want to thank everyone for their kind reviews : )**

**Its been a few days since I've updated so for that I apologise, its nice to know that you are all still reading and enjoying this one as I'm enjoying writing it! I know I originally said I wasn't going to pair anyone up in this one but I think it might liven it up slightly, so look for subtle hints in the chapters to follow! And I know I've changed the placing a little bit and have missed out the Mah'habara Sunterra - Flower Filled Fissure, but I'm going to let the Hecatoncheir battle happen in the Sulyya Springs instead because it fits better with this story :D**

**Enjoy **

**xx**

**

* * *

**

She had never been happier to see a blue sky.

They had finally arrived at Sulyya Springs, stepping happily from Atomos they felt the sunshine wash over them. Their eyes adjusting from the dark caverns to a beautiful cloudless sky.

Vanille sighed in relief, stumbling forward she sunk to her knees next to the nearest stream and dipped her hands into the ice cold water to drink. Replenishing water that had been lost over the past few days. They all then joined her, happy that they had broken out of the dark damp caves.

Even Lightning couldn't help but let a small smile wash over her features, it had been a crazy few days and she was happy they were over. She had to admit, they had been stressful on her too. She looked over at Fang and Vanille, bathed in the joy of their home planet and felt a slight pang of sadness. She would have loved for Serah to be here with her, enjoying the bright sunshine. Her smile soon faded as she set out with the task of securing the perimeter for camp. They all needed a rest before continuing, maybe with a night outside they would be more at ease with their surroundings.

She was sure now, that they could take anything life could throw at them.

* * *

As the darkness fell across the clear skies, the smell of cooking drifted across the campsite. Snow was good for one thing, and that was catching things that tasted nice.

Vanille sighed and looked into the fire, her tired eyes beginning to drift closed as the flames danced in front of them. Her body still ached with the stress of the past few days, but at least the dizzy feeling was beginning to fade. She jumped slightly when she felt a presence to her left.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the young soldier was a sight for sore eyes, as she sat herself on the ground next to Vanille. For once, not with her gun blade in hand.

Vanille gave a small smile, glad that Lightning was talking to her, Fang had gone to fetch in more firewood and Vanille hated being left on her own.

"Who's taking watch?" Vanille felt herself asking, Lightning usually wanted to be the first to make sure everywhere was safe. She ignored Lightning's first question, she wasn't sure yet how she was feeling.

"Sazh" She sighed, looking down at her feet, the cold breeze lifting her pink hair sideways with it. Revealing a soft expression across her face. One Vanille had only seen when she was talking with Hope.

"Do you want me to take one?" The young girl asked and Lightning shook her head.

"No, its okay, I'm sure Fang will take one when she gets back" Lightning whispered, she didn't like the thought of Vanille being out there on her own just yet.

Vanille nodded, she felt too tired anyway but she wanted to pull her weight with the rest of the group.

"You know she'll fall asleep again right?" Vanille giggled, lifting the mood slightly, Lightning just shrugged her shoulders.

"Probably, but your not strong enough again yet" Her statement was short, yet filled with the familiar hint of concern. Vanille was sure she must have been imagining it. The soldier was making a habit of being worried about her, It wasn't normal. It filled Vanille with a little bit of warmth every time the woman next to her spoke, she shook her head. It was perhaps better not to get too close, not with any of them. She fell silent and pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Something's up" Lightning stated, looking back at the young girl. It wasn't so much a question.

The young redhead looked away, up at the stars. They shone brightly down on the two l'Cie, Vanille liked the stars, they were there silently watching over everything yet never passing judgement, it made her feel peaceful. Inside, she was mixed up. So many lies were swirling around in her head it was hard to keep track. She hated lying to Fang, but lying to Lightning, felt worse. It would help if she had someone to share things with, but she knew that the young soldier would hate her for not telling the truth. She was just building up her trust and it would knock it straight down again. So she kept up the walls, protecting her from all the pain that was involved with the truth.

Lightning was looking at her with a puzzled look, she could almost see the girls inner battle. She knew something was wrong, yet she didn't feel she knew Vanille well enough to push her just yet. She sighed and looked away, a slight awkward silence between the two women. Lightning couldn't help but feel slightly protective over the small girl, she wasn't sure why perhaps it was because she was so like Serah. She shook her head, that couldn't be right, even though they were built rather similar in body, and close together in age, in personality they were nothing alike. Maybe it was just because she felt sorry for the younger girl.

That was more of a reason.

"You should get some sleep" Lightning stated, breaking the silence between them. She could see how the young girls eyes were drooping and she had to admit, she too was feeling the strain.

"So should you" Vanille replied with a small smile.

"Yeah, but you've been through quite something, rest will do you good. I'll be fine."

"I'm not too tired" Vanille lied, truth be told, she didn't want to sleep without Fang by her side. She knew the nightmares would come, and she didn't want to appear weak in front of Lightning.

"That's not true, you can hardly stay awake now" The older woman replied.

Vanille looked back down at the ground, shuffling her feet.

"Will you stay for a while?" She said quietly, "I.." She paused, looking into Lightning's cool blue eyes. "I just hate being alone"

Lightning was shocked at the eye contact, it made Vanille's plea so much harder to ignore so she found herself agreeing.

"Okay, just until Fang gets back" She sighed, she had felt awkward last time the young girl had clung to her in her sleep. She wasn't used to close contact, not since Serah. She missed the contact with her younger sister, it was hard even thinking about the past.

As if she knew what Lightning was thinking, Vanille's small voice met her ears.

"Do you miss her?"

Lightning was puzzled by this question, it seemed to her sometimes that the girl next to her could read all of their emotions. She had thought she could keep her feelings hidden fairly well, but from Vanille that seemed impossible. 'Ironic really' She thought, when Vanille's feelings were more messed up than the rest of them.

The girl had more secrets than she had ever known someone hold in, and she had to admit. She was ever so slightly curious. She couldn't help but be drawn in by her, she hadn't felt this way about another person before. She usually didn't care what they were feeling. It confused her even more. The girl meant nothing to her, I mean, her and Hope. They had been through a bit of a journey together. But her and Vanille, she had only really spoke with the girl for a slight amount of time.

She looked over at the rest of the group before she answered. Snow was still tending to his cooking, she could see by his clumsy actions that he too was lost in thought. And if she knew him like she thought she did, it would be about Serah too.

Hope was already asleep, peace was written across his face. The young boy had been through his own tragedy. Yet he had found a little more happiness, he had something to keep fighting for. So did Sazh, Hope had his father, alive and well back on cocoon. Sazh had Dajh. His crystallised son, waiting for him to complete and return from his focus, he would then wake up and be able to live happily with his father.

She and Snow had Serah, although she was worried that when Serah was married, she would be missing her little sister more and more. She was sure though, that she had lost her already after pushing her away. No, she couldn't think like that at least she had her chance when Serah awoke from her crystal sleep, to put things right with the young girl.

Now she looked over at Vanille, she wasn't sure what Fang had waiting for her, that she had yet to find out about the older woman, but Vanille had nothing, apart from Fang. It filled her with a little more sadness. No one so young should be so alone. So she figured, answering Vanille's question couldn't hurt.

She looked over to the young l'Cie, about to start her explanation when a smile crossed her features. Vanille was already asleep, her features relaxed. She was curled to one side and Lightning noticed she seemed to hug herself for comfort. It must have been the lack of Fangs presence.

She began to wonder if this was what the girl was like when her and Fang had been separated back on cocoon. It made her feel slightly guilty, back on cocoon she had been filled with so much hatred. Ignoring the feelings off all those around her and she had forced Vanille then, to go off alone with Sazh, while she charged on in her crusade. Now she realised, Vanille needed someone for comfort, she was hurting in her own silent way. And Lightning had been to blind to see it.

She sighed and laid herself down on the ground next to the girl. It couldn't hurt, to stay here like she promised until Fang returned. It wouldn't be long, unless she had run into difficulty. She had a way of attracting trouble after all.

She wasn't worried about Fang, in fact she was slightly annoyed with the older woman. She wasn't sure why, not really. It was just something about her attitude towards everything. It reminded her slightly of Snow when she had first met him, overconfident. Yet she couldn't knock the woman's loyalty. She had done everything in her power to find Vanille again and like she had told Lightning, she would tear down the sky to save the younger girl, and Lightning believed her.

She jumped slightly as Vanille's arm looped around hers, the girls grip was deathly, like Lightning was ready to run away. Lightning felt her body stiffen, the contact alien to her.

She soon relaxed when the girl loosened her grip slightly and fell deeper into sleep. Raising her other hand above her head she allowed herself to close her eyes, feeling slightly content with her surroundings. This place felt peaceful, as if she were back on the beach in Bodhum. She felt no immediate danger, she trusted Sazh's judgement anyhow, yet the world here was more silent, it lacked the wilderness that the Archylte Steppe contained, she wasn't ready to let her guard down yet, after all. Tomorrow was another day.

And she was ready, ready to greet what ever challenge would face them at dawn.

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**A/N. **

**Okay, I just wanted to lighten the mood a little after the previous chapter, and its nice to write in a little bit of interaction between the two of them! **

**Thanks for reading :D **


	11. Going Hunting

**A.N. **

**Well I would really, really like to thank you all for your kind reviews. They really help with spurring me on to update faster :D So thank you for your kind words. I like the fact everyone is enjoying this one, I'm really loving writing this one too : )**

**So I promise I'll get around to the Hecatoncheir battle, but I just had to put this one in :D :D**

**Enjoy **

**Xx**

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Lightning looked around with a frown fixed firmly across her face, her light pink hair strewn over her eyes as the wind picked it up and blew it sideways. She was, as always a picture of power and beauty, her head held high in the morning sunshine.

She had half expected today to have held something exciting, but it wasn't. Not at all in fact.

She had promised her fellow l'Cie that they could rest for another day and night before they continued, she knew that everyone, except perhaps her and Fang could do with it. Vanille especially. She didn't mind, not really. She just found herself unsurprisingly bored. Sitting still was never a strong point of hers. Taking in the breathtaking views around her, she was stood on the biggest rock she could find, not a creature in sight for miles. She nearly looked like she was carved out of stone herself.

Her fellow travellers were sitting back near their temporary site, it seemed they were all chatting. She didn't much feel like joining them. She liked a little peace, everyone begun to get on her nerves after a while. Sighing she sat herself down, her legs dangling off the edge of her lookout platform. She was still drawn to attention, just perhaps a little more relaxed than normal.

Her eyes missed nothing, their ice blue gaze taking in everything that was happening, it was a skill she had had for many years. It was with this that she saw Fang get to her feet and approach the back of her rock.

"Mornin', What are you doing?" The brunette asked, her accented voice filled with a tired tone, Fang too had not yet recovered from their little adventure back in the caves. All of the fighting and carrying Vanille had taken it out of her. She had been the first one to ask Lightning if they could stay put for the night to come and push on in the morning.

Lightning didn't answer straight away, she didn't want the annoyed tone to show in her voice, everyone knew she liked to be left alone. Especially in the morning.

"Just watching" She finally replied, her voice was quick, her attention focused on her surroundings. She didn't really feel like talking to Fang.

"You've been watchin' since dawn" The woman replied, her voice softer than usual. Truth be told, she was grateful for everything Lightning had done for them all. Especially Vanille. She felt like she needed to say something to her, but was unsure of how to word it. So she just decided to bite the bullet and say what she was thinking.

"Thank you" she said. Lightning looked straight at her, confused.

"For what?"

"For back in Mah'habara. For healing Vanille, you really did save her life" the older woman sighed, she hated being so useless when it came to healing her companions. It was something she must get Vanille to show her.

"I would have done it for any of you" Lightning replied bluntly. "I couldn't just leave her like that"

"No, but you must have put some feeling into your magic, she was hurt pretty bad"

Lightning looked away. She did put more feeling in than usual, it just confused her as to why.

"I think she's took a shine to you" Fang added with a smile. She had come back later the night before, seeing immediately Vanille curled next to Lightning. She had looked so peaceful, clutching to the soldiers arm, her body deep in sleep. It was rare for Vanille to be so relaxed when Fang wasn't around, there was something about the pink haired soldier that made the young girl feel safe. She was glad that the soldier had stayed with Vanille, it seemed to keep her nightmares away.

"Tsk" Lightning breathed. "I just stayed with her while you were away, she would cling to anyone"

"That's my point" Fang added. "She wouldn't" she turned heel then and headed back to camp leaving Lightning to mull over what she had said.

Lightning was unsure of what to make of the information he had just received, she had always pitted Vanille as quite a needy person, and she just felt that protecting her came naturally. It would if she were protecting any member of their party. It was just something she would do, without consideration.

She sighed and she too jumped down from her rock, stretching her arms above her head. She had slept well last night, which was surprising to her as she usually felt awkward with body contact. She shrugged it off maybe she was just really tired.

She decided, as her stomach growled in hunger, that she had better think about attempting to catch breakfast. It was something she enjoyed. Hunting on her own made it easy for her to clear her head. She figured she had better at least tell the others what she was doing so she made her way to where they sat.

"I'm off to get breakfast" She huffed. They all looked up at her, nodding in agreement.

"About time" Snow laughed, holding his stomach.

"There was nothing stopping you was there?" she shot back, annoyance splashed across her face. Snows grin faded. Her murderous look made him worry he might get another punch so he fell silent.

Lightning moved off then anyway, she decided she would go a little further away. Fancying more of a walk. She paced herself rather quickly, putting distance in between her and the campsite enjoying the feeling as the world fell silent around her. This was more like it. Reaching round she drew her gun blade from its holster. Returning it to its usual position, grasped firmly in her hand, ready to be used as and when necessary.

She had lost herself in thought then, as she reminisced about her life back on cocoon. She remembered when her and Serah had taken a trip out camping together, she had been much younger then and carefree. It was nice, just the two of them against the world. Of course, she had to do everything, Serah wasn't much of a survivalist person. She could remember the girl clinging to her as the trees next to them had whistled. She then heard her own strong voice.

"Its just the wind"

She smiled to herself, she missed the feeling of having someone to look out for. It seemed to make up for the fact she had no one to look after her when she was younger, it seemed to fill a void that she had. She missed what they had back then and she couldn't help but wonder what the future held for them both.

She suddenly snapped out of her daydream as she heard a faint noise behind her, she raised her blade ready to bring it crashing down on whatever enemy was threatening her.

Hearing a little squeal she stopped suddenly. Vanille stood before her, her eyes closed tight in sudden reflex, waiting for the blow that Lightning would have brought down on her head.

"Vanille!" Lightning exclaimed, lowering her weapon straight away. "I could have killed you!"

Vanille opened her eyes and looked up at the soldier, embarrassed.

"Sorry" she murmured.

"What are you doing here?" Lightning was annoyed now, not only did the young l'Cie manage to sneak up on her, she had been within inches of causing her serious harm. The though scared her, everything she had been through just recently and she could have killed her instantly with a single strike. She took a mental note to not daydream anymore.

"I thought, I would… um… help?" The young girl sounded nervous. Her voice still in shock as to what just happened.

"Go back" Lightning added, she liked to be alone so she could concentrate. All the noise Vanille was likely to make she wouldn't catch anything.

"No" Vanille replied, her voice a little more stubborn. "I want to help, I didn't think you would mind"

"I don't need your help" Lightning shot back. She moved off, turning her back on the younger woman. She noted, that Vanille was following. She rolled her eyes. Did this girl never listen?

"You'd better be able to keep up, and stay quiet" she sighed, she knew the girl wasn't going to listen to her. So it was pointless moaning about it. She saw a flicker of happiness in Vanille's eyes at her words and the young l'Cie nodded, a little over exuberantly. She raised an eyebrow, curious as to why.

"I just like hunting" Vanille replied quickly, it wasn't a complete lie, she just left out the part about liking Lightning's company.

"Lets go then" Lightning allowed a small smile to wash over her, and Vanille felt again, a little happiness. She liked to see the soldier smile.

Lightning walked along in silence, listening attentively to the world around her. She was taken aback at how careful the young girl was stepping behind her. Her feet only slightly brushing the surface of the earth, it was almost like she was skipping. Her body perfectly tuned to what she wanted it to do, it was like she was dancing along. Her steps singing out. Lightning was quite amazed at how the young girl had recovered from her injuries. She was a lot tougher than she had originally thought, it made her feel slightly better about her tagging along. In fact as they walked on, she grew increasingly grateful for her company.

"I used to hunt, all the time with Fang" Vanille was the first one to break the silence, Lightning was taken aback, she really couldn't imagine Vanille hunting, the girl was too nice.

"Of course" Vanille continued. "The first one was an accident… I was following her" she smiled.

"Go figure" Lightning replied.

"That's what this is" she pointed to the piece of fur she wore at the back of her outfit.

"What did you kill?" Lightning asked, she saw Vanille flinch.

"Well… I actually didn't mean to kill it at all." she held up her hands, "Self defence I swear!" she giggled at her own antics.

"It was a bear, it chased Fang, so I… I threw a rock at it, then it turned and chased me"

"How did you manage to out run a bear?" Lightning was impressed. Even she wasn't that fast.

"I didn't, I accidentally killed it with a survival knife" Vanille felt a little sad, she hadn't meant to do it after all.

"A survival knife?"

"Yeah…" her words were cut short as the pink haired soldier raised a hand to silence her, instantly jumping to a defensive position. Raising her weapon Lightning crept forward, the long stemmed grass near their clearing was shivering slightly. Vanille was impressed, she wouldn't have noticed such a small detail. She nodded to Lightning and crept forward with her, her shoes making no sound at all on the sandy floor. It seemed she had a lot to learn after all. Not that she minded, being with Lightning seemed to make her forget all of the things that were haunting her day and night, she had slept soundly the night before. Amazed that her sleep had been peaceful, she couldn't recall ever having a nightmare free night like that.

Lightning felt her heart jump with excitement, it was almost like being back in survival training. Learning to move stealthily and accurately. She figured whatever was in the grass couldn't be too big, or else it would have been tailing them, not the other way around. She readied herself to spring at whatever it was when her actions were cut short.

"Lightning!" Vanille suddenly yelled from behind her, Lightning cursed, whatever had been there had scuttled away at the sound of Vanille's voice. She turned around sharply ready to growl at the young girl for being too loud. She stopped suddenly.

Vanille was pointing skywards, her eyes fixed on a winged creature. Lightning had been too busy hunting her own prey to realise that something was after them, she felt annoyed with herself. That was the second time now.

It was circling, getting gradually lower with each circuit, like a vulture does when it has finally found it's dinner.

"What is that?" she found herself asking the younger woman.

"It's a Wyvern I think" Vanille replied, raising her weapon, just as Lightning did the same. "Its okay, I've got this one"

Lightning was sceptical, the Wyvern outweighed Vanille by a lot, but she decided to let the young woman have a go.

Vanille attempted to repeat what her and Fang had managed to do back on cocoon, pulling the binding rod back she lurched it forward quickly, in one fast motion. Like you would a fishing rod. The hooked ends flew towards the creature, gripping it just below the wings. She pulled back then, restraining it from flying further. Looking over at Lightning she gave a victorious smile, feeling happy that she could help for once.

Before she had a chance to look back again, the Wyvern unexpectedly twisted around taking the wing Vanille had hold of in a circular motion, she gave a little yelp as the binding rod lurched her forward dragging it through her fingers and plunging her to the ground.

"Vanille!" Lightning exclaimed, running forwards and offering her hand to the younger girl. Vanille could feel her face heating up with embarrassment, but she took the soldiers hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked her, she nodded. Nothing but her pride was hurt. "Never take your attentions off an enemy" she added, sounding like a general giving a pre-battle pep talk.

Vanille nodded again, falling silent. She had no weapon, realising this she felt slightly vulnerable. Until Lightning jumped in front of her with a small grin across her face.

"You'd better wait here" She said running forward to meet the creatures next dive, Vanille could do nothing but watch in awe then as Lightning landed a round of perfectly well aimed attacks, raining the Wyvern from its place up in the sky. Pinning it to the ground like Fang did she brought her blade up and drove it through the creatures chest. It gave a little wriggle of pain before its head slumped to the ground and it remained motionless under Lightning's knees.

Vanille walked slowly to meet her then, as she jumped down off the creatures back, bringing with her Vanille's rod, which she had detached from its crumpled up wing. Smiling in victory she handed the weapon back to the younger girl.

"That's how it's done" She said triumphantly.

Vanille nodded, she couldn't argue with that.

"So, what do they taste like?" Lightning added. She shrugged, not having a clue.

"Well we can only try it I suppose." she sighed and set about the task of cutting the piece she thought was most edible from the dead creature.

"Lets hope you have the same taste as Snow" Vanille giggled, she doubted it looking at the Wyvern, however it was better than nothing.

Lightning looked up as something small hit her on the top of the head, groaning she noticed black clouds looming above their heads.

"Tsk, that's just great" she sighed she really wasn't having the best day today. The rain falling down through her light pink hair. She shook her head, taking the water with it. The sky opened then, pouring with it the elements.

Vanille smiled and hopped excitedly on the spot. She loved the rain, the summer rains on Pulse were a nice change from the relentless heat. They brought with them a nice refreshing feeling. It lifted her spirits no end.

"What are you doing?" Lightning asked her annoyed, Vanille spun around, the soldier had sulked away and was stood under the nearest tree she could find for shelter.

"I like the rain" She giggled.

"Humph, doesn't mean I have to" she shot back, looking away. "Come over here, your getting soaked"

"Its just water" Vanille replied happily, loving the feeling of the cool water down her skin. Lightning rolled her eyes, she wasn't going to argue. It wasn't her getting wet. She knew it wouldn't be long before the girl was too cold so she waited for her to get bored.

"How long do these last for?"

"They're usually just showers" Vanille replied, dancing around, the ground beneath her feet becoming cloggy. Her hair was stuck tight to her forehead and her clothes felt heavy.

After a few minutes she decided to join the soldier under shelter, the rain beginning to chill her slightly .

"See" Lightning said, noting how the young l'Cie's shoulders were shaking. "Now you're cold"

"I'm fine" she replied happily, she felt carefree here with Lightning, it almost made her want to stay and not return back to the others. Her wish didn't come true however, as the clouds moved over the rain began to slow slightly.

Lightning sighed with relief, there was nothing worse than standing in the rain. She looked over at Vanille with a little bit of pity, she was shivering harder now. Giving in she unclipped her red cape again and slung it over her shoulders.

"You know, this is really becoming a habit"

Vanille looked up and smiled at the young soldier, she nodded and hugged the cape tighter.

"You should really wear more" Lightning added, looking her up and down.

"Then I get too hot" the girl replied bluntly, "Besides, you cant talk" she set her eyes on Lighting's short skirt and tilted her head slightly. It amazed her how the soldier could perform all of her acrobatics in it. It was just too darn revealing.

"You done staring?" Lightning's voice snapped her out of her daydream. She looked away quickly embarrassed.

"Anyway" Lightning continued. "The rains stopped, we should head back"

Vanille nodded, slightly sad that she couldn't stay here with the soldier just a little longer.

But either way, there was always tomorrow.

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**A.N,**

**Just another nice little chapter before I throw you back into the action. Thanks for reading :D**


	12. Talking it Out

**A.N**

**So I apologise that I haven't updated for a few weeks been attending job interviews all week! Here is the next part, its a little bit shorter, but is gearing up for the next one a little bit. That will be up tomorrow :D **

**I would like to thank mostly FiveThreeTen, for catching up on reviews : ) It was nice to log in and see thirty-two reviews for this story! But thanks to everyone else for your kind words.**

**On with the story, enjoy!**

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It seemed, as she awoke from her restless slumber, that she wasn't yet ready to become awake. Even so, she allowed her eyes to adjust to the harsh light that greeted them. The orange glow of the sun beating down on her skin. She realised, eventually after her thoughts had the time to gather that it was already high in the sky and she was sleeping alone. Sitting up she observed her surroundings with curiosity, noting the lack of activity she was usually greeted with. Instead she only saw Fang, and when the older woman noticed she was awake she threw a little smile in her direction and stretched her limbs to prepare for movement.

Sauntering over she stroked the top of Vanille's head with care, speaking softly.

"Your finally awake" she whispered. Vanille nodded, guessing that the stress of the past few days had finally caught up with her and that her body wanted to sleep it out.

"What's the time?" she noticed her voice was hoarse with tiredness.

"Just past noon" Fang replied quickly. "You've been asleep ages, the others have gone to scout ahead, Lightning wanted to let you sleep on for a while" Vanille stretched at her words and allowed Fang to pull her to her feet. She felt surprisingly tired still for someone that had just slept for hours straight.

"Are you ready to get going? We can stay a while if you wanted to get your bearings." Fang whispered softly. She hadn't yet let go of Vanille's hand, offering a little support. She was slightly worried, it was unlike Vanille to ever sleep soundly, especially when she was sleeping alone, but then again. She had been through quite an ordeal recently.

"Yeah, I'm ready" she replied, smiling. It was, as usual the fake smile she wore for everyone. It was becoming increasingly harder for her to apply the mask every day. Instead, she soon broke the eye contact with Fang and made the first moves to continue forward. Fang was following her closely, she could feel the older woman's eyes boring into her back as she walked. It nearly felt like Fang could see through the charade and at any moment would confront her for being a liar. She knew the day was fast approaching, but she hadn't expected it quite so soon.

It was after they had walked a little way that she noticed Fangs pace had slowed and she could easily keep up with the woman's usually swinging strides. She took the time to see her surroundings more clearly. This place was beautiful, the cascading water of nearby rivers was a soothing sound to their ears and the soft colours of the flowers she had grown to know so well offered her a little bit of visual happiness. She began to think back to Oerba, these flowers had grown right outside the orphanage and she used to sit by them every day, taking in their soft scents and colours. She wondered if Fang remembered them too.

She skipped forward merrily and crouched by them, smelling the sweet aroma that reminded her so much of carefree days.

"These flowers, you remember them right?" She smiled back at Fang, she was happy to see the curious look Fang had been wearing had changed to a happier, less suspicious one.

"Sure I do, they grew all over Oerba" She smiled down, before walking forward and looking up at the sky, Vanille thought she was thinking of old times too, until her hands clasped together and her words turned into more of a sigh.

"Its my fault Gran Pulse ended up like this isn't it?"

Vanille's heart skipped then, just a little, and a sinking feeling came over her as Fang continued to talk. She gasped, her eyes becoming wide. Her nightmare was coming true, Fang knew.

"I remember everything, I became Ragnarok, I scarred Cocoon and I left Gran Pulse in this mess. It was me" she didn't turn around while she was speaking, Vanille could imagine the look of hurt across her friends face. That was the reason she had lied, she didn't want Fang to blame herself. Now it was going to come back and haunt her. Fang would be madder with her as she knew she had lied.

She tried to cover her tracks, but all she could do was stutter out her response.

"W…what are you talking about?" she could hear how fake she really sounded, her cover was blown. And more lies weren't going to change that.

Fangs next words were a blur, the despair was gripping her too much to care anymore. She knew she had to come clean sooner or later, and now seemed to be about the right time. She opened her mouth to explain her actions but was cut short by an intense pain that shot up through her thigh.

Her hands immediately shot to her brand and she yelped in pain, gripping it harder. She noticed as she looked down that a red glow was emitting from in-between her fingers. The pushed harder then, as the pain intensified. Fang still had her back turned, evidently not noticing her distress. She gave another yelp then, a little louder than the first and grabbed Fangs attention.

"Vanille!" She faintly heard as Fang drew her weapon and ran back towards her. However, the older woman's feet skidded to a halt when symbols appeared on the floor, cutting her short. Vanille screamed as a light engulfed her, as quickly as the pain had intensified, it ceased to exist. She jumped backward and looked on in horror as the form of her eidolon appeared. He was huge, arms spread in every direction, too many for her to count, some crossed over his chest and others menacingly waving at her.

Fang had leapt forward and readied herself for battle yet she couldn't help but throw a few mocking words Vanille's way first.

"Ha!" she yelled. "I knew I was right, the eidolon knows the truth"

Vanille's eyes left Hecatoncheir then, and wandered to the grin on Fangs face. She had been tricked, Fang hadn't known at all. A little anger bubbled up in her then as she realised the level Fang had gone to, to get the truth from her.

"So you were lying!" she exclaimed, forgetting momentarily that they were both in danger.

"No more than you were! Admit it, you remember everything" she sounded angry yet playful at the same time.

"It wasn't your fault" she had to have one more attempt at swaying Fangs mind back but her words were cut short by Fangs hand, she crossed it in front of her to silence her. Spinning her lance round she never took her eyes off her target.

"Vanille, we should talk about this later" her stance was ready and strong. She oozed confidence, yet it seemed she was beginning to learn not to be too cocky, the way she stood was shielding Vanille, showing her protective side.

Vanille nodded her agreement, as regrettable as it was to admit, they had more pressing things to deal with. She unhooked her binding rod from its holster and quickly assembled it, she too jumped forward so she was level with Fang and after one last look at the woman she averted her eyes to Hecatoncheir. She wasn't sure if she even wanted to fight, she lacked the strength and the will. Yet she wanted a chance to explain to Fang why she had lied, she owed her that much. Otherwise it would be easier to just give in to the being before her. She knew as well that Fang would fight to the end, even if she had to do it by herself. She couldn't let her go through that alone. No, this was her battle. And she would see it through.

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Lightning was happy to be moving again, she was enjoying the walk through the Sulyya Springs, she liked the peaceful nature of the place. Sure, there was creatures but not in the quantity, nor the strength they had seen elsewhere on Pulse.

It was with the same joyful stride that the rest of the small party walked on. The atmosphere between them was lighter than it had been for quite some time, it seemed that their path was almost clearly set out. That their journey to Oerba was becoming less of a challenge, after all. They had been through so much already. They were sure, that not so many more problems could arise.

It was with this thought that Lightning's acute senses picked up a small sound on the wind. She stopped in her tracks. The sound was a scream, she was sure of it. It wasn't often that her senses let her down. She grew suddenly fearful. Gran Pulse was devoid of life, so it had to be either Fang, or Vanille. After all, they hadn't walked too far from the camp yet, and she guessed that Vanille should be awake by now.

"Shhh," she quickly hissed at her noisy companions, who still seemed to be talking amongst themselves. "Did you hear that?" Everybody ceased their walking momentarily, listening also.

"What are we supposed to be hearing?" Sazh added, his hearing not quite what Lightning's was.

"I thought I heard a scream" She suddenly doubted herself, it seemed the rest of them had heard nothing so maybe her mind was playing tricks. She did seem to be a little too protective over certain member of their group just lately.

"I don't hear it" Hope murmured, starting to move off.

"Wait! There!" Lightning exclaimed, as she heard it again on the wind. It sounded like Vanille.

"I hear something" Snow said, "But I couldn't tell you if it was a scream, it sounded more like a yelp of some kind"

"Its Fang and Vanille, we have to go back" Lightning said coolly. She reached for her weapon and started back the way they had come. She was confused as to why she knew the scream had come from Vanille, it seemed she was attuned to the sound of her voice. Surprising even herself at how she could pick up the faintest little detail. She regretted leaving them behind, she should have waited. A sinking feeling grew upon her and she moved faster. It sounded like they needed help.

In a normal situation, she knew Fang would have been able to take anything this world threw at them, but it seemed, the more they continued on through their journey. The more she began to realise a whole new side to herself. She cringed as she thought back to cocoon, she hated the people she was travelling with, yet now. Now she classed them as family, they were beginning to grow in importance.

"Wait!" Snow ran around the front of her, and held out an arm to prevent her from going any further. "Are you sure?"

Something was telling her she was right, she just couldn't explain why.

"I'm sure" she growled defensively. She pushed his arm out of the way and turned around to glare as she went past him. It was only natural of him to be doubtful, he just didn't have the level of survival that she had.

"Were wasting time" she added and this time it was Hope who ran past her, not to stop her but to get them moving.

"Lets go then!" He yelled as he began running,

"Damn, I'm getting too old for this" Sazh sighed. To be truthful, he wasn't too unfit, he was just tired of them hitting dead ends. It seemed every time they thought they had Gran Pulse sorted, it threw something new their way.

It seemed, that once again, it was Fang and Vanille that were the distraction. Lightning found it ironic, how the two people from this planet were finding the going more difficult, either that or luck wasn't on their side. Again, that seemed strange as lady luck sure had been with them on cocoon.

As they ran on, battle cries and explosions met their ears, forcing them on faster. Lightning was the driving force, and even though the were all sweaty and out of breath they ran on until they were sure Fang and Vanille were just ahead. In fact, as Lightning allowed her feet to slow to a walk, she could see their silhouettes through the trees. Their attacker was a good size, and something she hadn't seen before on Pulse, then she realised, as her heart skipped. That it was Vanille's eidolon. It made sense, she knew Vanille had been holding something in for a while, she could see it every time she looked at the young l'Cie. She could only guess that Fang and her had been talking, and Vanille had gotten upset or angry. A weak moment, just like the rest of them.

It seemed from where she stood, that the battle was going in the two Pulsian's favour, it certainly didn't look like they needed any current help, so when Snow went to go running past her, all guns blazing it was her turn to calmly hold out her arm.

"Wait" she whispered. "I think they have some things to sort out"

"Yeah, but shouldn't we help?"

Lightning shook her head,

"It seems like they are doing okay, if they need us. We can help, but I think they need to sort this one between them."

She looked over at the battle with critical eyes, observing every move the eidolon made, her analytical skills coming in handy as she sought out technique and attacks ready for if she needed to help them out. If they charged in now, Vanille would never get to explain what had been troubling her, and she knew by the way it had been eating her for a while that it was something she really needed to get off her chest. Strangely, she was torn between protecting her personally, and leaving her with Fang. It wasn't as if Fang hadn't been able to protect them growing up, she had seen first hand the care Fang gave to Vanille. Yet she couldn't help but feel nervous as she watched the battle unfold. It confused her, if it had been anyone else fighting along side Fang she wouldn't have felt the same. Maybe not even with Hope. She trusted the other woman's judgement.

Her thoughts returned to the battle as she saw the two l'Cie performing their best attacks, and she could see the others next to her nervously doing the same. They all saw the logic in leaving the women to it, yet it didn't make them feel any more comfortable with it. So Lightning whispered softly, yet with an authority that belonged only to her.

"Lets just see what happens"


	13. Hecatoncheir

**A/N. **

**Heya! Here's part 2 of the Hecatoncheir battle! I hope you guys are still enjoying this one and thanks again to the reviews :D They help an unbelievable amount! **

**On with the Story! **

**Xx**

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She wasn't quite sure if the little white lights dancing in front of her eyes were a good thing, or not.

She decided, since she could feel cool earth underneath her back muscles, that it was indeed a bad thing. As far as she could tell, she was looking up at the sky, yet her eyes seemed to be swimming in and out of focus. She had to blink for a moment, as the harsh light met her piercing green eyes. Her head was spinning, bringing with it a strange ringing in her ears, followed by a strange voice. Her muscles were aching, nearly every one of them. It was a dull kind of ache, as if she had recently run a marathon.

"Vanille!" The voice was closer now, and it took her a little time to notice that it was her own name being called.

She managed to get her eyes to focus on a cloud floating above her, it gave her enough bearings to slowly raise her head off the floor and to eventually push herself vertical. As the ringing died down in her head she could hear small explosions. Realising why she was actually laying down forced her struggle to her feet as quickly as she could muster.

Hecatoncheir seemed to be focused on Fang for the moment, she wasn't sure if that was a good or a bad thing. It was helpful though, it gave her enough time to cautiously stretch out her limbs and gather up her Binding rod, which seemed to be lying a few feet away from her.

"You alright?" Fang yelled over, Vanille didn't answer as she wasn't sure that she trusted herself to speak., through fear that she might throw up, the swirling in her head was still going round and round like fog on a windy morning. She wondered if it was something to do with the doom spell he had cast, she did feel slightly weaker. She could only guess that time was running short.

Yet the battle wasn't exactly going her way.

Hecatoncheir turned his attentions back on her, she hadn't yet recovered from the last time yet she managed to throw herself sideways and to the floor. Her knees hit solid earth and her hands shot out instinctively to prevent her from hitting the ground completely. She felt pain sear through her already injured wrist. She shook it off and quickly moved again, not giving him a chance to get in a strong attack.

"Over here!" she heard Fang yell desperately.

She felt relief as he turned away from her once again, and quickly realised in horror that she had once again let go of her Binding rod. She shook herself angrily, she really must stop doing that. It seemed to be a kind of reflex.

She groaned as she felt the weight of her weapon, her wrist was throbbing and the once light weapon seemed a lot heavier than it ever had. She took it as a sign that she really was weakening, looking down at her legs she realised that they were shaking too, either from the cuts that were laced across her knees or from the spell that was cast upon her.

She looked up again swiftly as she saw Hecatoncheir leap in the air once again and come crashing down this time next to where Fang was stood.

"Look out!" She heard her shaky voice muster as the attack landed a little too close for comfort. She instantly forced her wobbly legs forward, and shot a quick thunder attack his way to try and revert his attention off Fang. Sprinting forward she reached out and helped pull Fang to her feet.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice showing her concern.

Fang nodded, she looked Vanille up and down. Shocked to find her skin a pale shade, and beads of sweat laced across her forehead.

"We have to hurry! There isn't much time" She half whispered, turning her attentions back to the task at hand. They needed to finish this, Vanille was in serious trouble.

"Move!" She suddenly yelled, noticing Hecatoncheir coming in for another attack. She quickly grabbed Vanille and spun them both round. Not having time to really prepare a steel guard she did the only thing she could think of and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. She braced as Hecatoncheir collided with her back, sending a wave of pain through her skin.

Grimacing, she stumbled forwards, still with Vanille protected in front of her in case he struck again. Vanille gave a little yelp of surprise as they toppled forwards and she landed on the hard floor underneath the older woman.

"Fang!" She exclaimed, as she wiggled out from under her. She got a slight moan in response and looked in horror at the older woman's back. She had a gash running from one shoulder blade to the other, it was deep and a steady flow of crimson was trickling down to the floor.

Gasping she quickly mustered up the fastest cure spell she could, forgetting for a moment that Hecatoncheir was there at all.

"Are you alright?" She said quickly, already knowing the answer. She knew Fang didn't have time to get into Sentinel mode, so she put herself in the way, just like she always did.

"Stay still!" She allowed the magic to flow through her hands and to the other woman, healing the cut up nearly instantly. She could see the relief written across the older woman's face as the cure spell did its job.

She felt anger flare up in front of her and she bunched her fists into balls, seeing that her spell had worked, and that Fang was okay she stood up, staring daggers into the Eidolon before her.

"Wait here!" she half growled. Fang was taken aback. Vanille never got angry, and the look in her eyes told it all. Her voice was a lower tone than she had ever heard and for a moment it scared her, until Vanille walked briskly towards Hecatoncheir.

Leaping to her feet she was just about to go and pull the young redhead back. Before she had the chance to move Vanille had raised her weapon and she saw a strange light grow around her.

Vanille could feel the anger coursing through her veins, this was her battle. Not Fangs, and Fang had done nothing but sacrifice everything for her in the past. With the anger, she could feel power well up inside her. Lowering her hands, she felt an unusual tingling sensation from her shoulder right down to the tips of her fingers.

A Magical energy surrounded her and without thinking she directed all of it his way. It seemed, she was conjuring all of the elements as one. She had never felt anything like it. Then again, she had never faced anything like this before. A smile graced her lips as she saw Hecatoncheir fall to his knees, the energy flowing through him. It was almost as if he was bowing before her, kneeling to the power she was displaying.

Fang was stood motionless, looking on in awe at Vanille's small frame. She knew Vanille was a powerful l'Cie when it came to magic and healing but she imagined not even Lightning possessed her kind of power. It was ironic really, how something that small could be so powerful. She wished, for a second that Lightning was here to see this, none of them would believe it when she told them. Told them how Hecatoncheir had kneeled to little Vanille.

Vanille could feel her body trembling as she ceased the magic flow. Lowering her hand back down she stood for a moment, trying to stay vertical. Then the realisation hit her. The weight had been lifted off her slightly, the dizzy feeling ceased to exist and she knew that the doom spell had gone, she realised then. That she had beaten him. Looking over at Fang she smiled.

No, they had beaten him. Together.

Fang walked slowly to her, and they both looked on as Hecatoncheir changed, as all the Eidolons did, to his other form. That surprised Fang, it seemed Vanille had the toughest eidolon out of them all. Even Behamut had seemed like a walk in the park compared to this one.

She reached out and placed a hand on Vanille's shoulder carefully, the young girl was shaking under her touch. Exhaustion and adrenaline no doubt. They had a lot to talk about, and she could see it in Vanille's eyes that she knew it too. She felt like she needed to yell at the young redhead but couldn't quite muster the strength to do it. Not looking at her stood there, eyes reverted to the floor and her hands knitted together in shame.

She walked away slowly, trying to find the words. Stretching her arms above her head she noticed with a start that her back didn't hurt at all. Vanille really put some care into her healing.

"Fang. I…" Vanille started, looking down at her hands to avoid Fangs gaze.

"Save it," she whispered back, "Well talk about it later."

"But…"

"Later.." She whispered. She didn't have the strength to argue with the young girl. Instead she took Vanille's nod of the head as submission. Walking forward she pulled the young girl into a hug.

Vanille could feel the tears well up in her eyes at Fangs actions. She had expected her to be angry, and instead she was hugging her. It just didn't make sense. She forgot about it for a moment though, as Fang held her tighter, she lost the battle with her eyes and she let the tears fall. She didn't care about anything right now, all that mattered was that they were here, and could sort things out later.

Breaking the hug Vanille went to move away when Fang took hold of her arm. She winced as a stabbing feeling shot through her wrist.

It didn't go unnoticed.

"Vanille?" Fang asked, quickly letting go and eyeing the young girls arm. Vanille cupped her wrist to her chest and looked down at the ground.

"Leave it" she said quickly, turning her back on Fangs worried expression.

"You're hurt…" Fang said in a blunt sort of tone.

"Its nothing"

"Let me see." Fang persisted, trying to take hold of her hand again. Vanille quickly moved it away, she didn't want to be helped. She had put Fang through the pain of not knowing their focus and brought all of the bad things upon them. Her wrist she could live with.

"Just leave it." she stated. "We need to get back to the others I'm sure they will be worried"

Fang reluctantly agreed, she couldn't do anything even if she wanted to. So she slowly followed Vanille forward, in the direction she knew their friends had taken.

* * *

Worried wasn't exactly the word Lightning would have used.

At first, she had been anxious. Raising her weapon high she had been performing an array of different attacks against the nearest inanimate object, which unfortunately for it was the base of the nearest oak tree. Hope had to shield his face with his arms as splitters went flying in his direction.

Snow was busy pacing backwards and forwards, annoying Sazh with his constant knuckle cracking and punching actions.

"Shouldn't we help them?" he had growled at the soldier, earning him a 'if looks could kill' gaze from Lightning.

"No, give them some time" she scowled back. Continuing her assault.

"Clearly its bothering you" he added.

"No, your bothering me" she shot back, not even looking at him.

He fell silent then, they all did. They all knew what Lightning was like when she was angry. And not one of them wanted to feel the wrath of her blade. Lightning knew that time was running short, the doom spells took their toll. She could remember how weak she had been feeling in her fight against Odin. Glancing anxiously across she could see Vanille's stance starting to falter.

She allowed the unusual feeling of worry cross her body, it wasn't like her to be attached to anyone. She just had a feeling that she had to protect the young l'Cie. She knew Fang was perfectly capable but couldn't help but fight the urge to run in and help with the battle.

She stopped however when she saw the bright light engulf Fang and Vanille.

"What the?" Hope said, his face a picture of awe. He rose to his feet, they all did.

"Is that Vanille?" Snow asked, his tone shocked. Lightning nodded.

"I think so" they stood for a moment and watched the power the young girl had produced. Lightning felt pride swell up in her, she had never seen anyone do anything like that. She didn't even know they could.

"What is it, magic?" Sazh asked, he knew Vanille's heart was in the right place, he saw that back in Nautilus, when Vanille had placed herself in-between him and his own Eidolon. He had seen then, the young girls true colours.

"Yeah" Lightning replied, her concern gone.

"Dang, I never knew she was that tough." he replied.

"Me either" she whispered. Seeing Fang walk over to Vanille.

"Come on, lets give them some space" she nodded. It didn't feel right that they were stood watching the two women's interaction. She gave Snow a slight push in the right direction.

"Alright alright, I'm going" he argued. Still in shock as to what he had just seen. He took a mental note to ask her how she did it later.

Lightning tore her eyes from the young girl and followed her own orders, feeling slightly happier. Now that all of the Eidolons were out of the way, she was sure things would get a little easier. After all, everyone seemed more emotionally stable after their battles. Each one of them gaining new hope. She just hoped it would help Vanille overcome whatever emotions she had been hiding. She wanted for a reason she didn't quite understand, to see the smile return to the young redheads face.

Continuing forward, she walked with a happier stride.


	14. Hiding the Truth

**Hmmm. This one was so much easier for me to write, I think I'm back into the swing of things again now, but then again I'm playing the game through again! It will only be the fourth time :D, either that or its because there is less action and more fluff! **

**Thanks again to all of you reviewers! **

**I just realised that I didn't put a disclaimer on this one at the beginning, so here it is. Fourteen chapters late! **

**I do not own the characters from Final Fantasy XIII i just borrow them for your enjoyment and my writing addiction! **

**Enjoy! **

**Xx**

* * *

The atmosphere was too silent for her liking as they both walked slowly into the clearing where their friends had stopped. It made her forget, momentarily, that her eyes were red and puffy from crying and that she ached everywhere. It seemed, as she looked around that their companions had been waiting for them. Everyone was sat in a half relaxed manor, together.

Finding everybody's gaze one by one, she applied a small smile. Trying to forget the talk she had just received from Fang, every time she thought about what the older woman had said, the guilt would come and the tears would well up. She wanted nothing more than to be hugged and for someone to tell her it was alright.

The only persons gaze she didn't find was Lightning's. She avoided that one, she couldn't face it. Not yet anyway. It was bad enough explaining to Fang why she had lied, it seemed impossible to do the same with the pink haired soldier. So she resisted the thought of looking up into the woman's baby blues as she was the first to speak.

"Are you guys alright?" Lightning stood up as she spoke, and moved to meet the two Pulsians.

Fang nodded her answer yet Vanille stayed still, her eyes averted to the floor.

"Eidolon." Fang answered, "I'm surprised you didn't hear us, we were loud enough" She spoke in a low tone, the tiredness in her voice showing.

Lightning looked to the others sheepishly, not wanting the two women to know they had seen the whole thing.

"Na, you know what were like Fang" Snow answered quickly, rubbing the top of his head. He grinned half awkwardly as she looked at him in a strange way.

"If we had have heard, we would have helped" Hope spoke up, he too stretched and rose to his feet.

"Didn't need much help to be honest" Fang half lied. "Vanille took care of him, didn't cha?" She looked down at the young redhead, half expecting a smile and her agreeing. Vanille however didn't answer. The lump that had caught in her throat would give her feelings away if she tried to speak, so she stayed silent.

"Anyway, you guys must be tired, I'll go get some firewood and we should stay here for the night" Lightning volunteered, they had all seen how tough the fight had been. Fang and Vanille would need to rest up if they were to continue on at such a fast pace. She went to move forward when a small voice stopped her.

"I'll go" Vanille said slowly. She needed some space, she couldn't handle it, not right now. Her body was screaming in protest, trying to let her know she was too tired but she didn't listen. Lightning opened her mouth to argue but the young girl had already walked quickly off. Instead she raised an eyebrow in Fang's direction. Perhaps things hadn't gone so well between the two of them.

"Sorry Light, I think she's a little down. I'll go with her" Fang spoke slowly, she knew Vanille was upset, and if they had been on cocoon she would have left her to get some space, but out here, she didn't like the thought of Vanille being by herself. They had already had too many close calls.

"I'll go" Lightning said quickly, "You get some rest, you must be tired"

Fang looked startled, was Lightning volunteering to go and speak to someone who was emotionally unstable? It wasn't like her at all.

"Don't worry, she'll be fine" Lightning added, "I'll be back soon, you guys can set up camp" Fang looked as if she wanted to argue, but then stopped herself. Maybe it was for the best. Vanille would be safe with Lightning and it might do her some good to get a breather from everything that was going on.

"Thanks" she said, turning to go and sit with the others.

* * *

Vanille wasn't particularly interested in looking for firewood. She was just wandering, trying to put distance in between her and the others. She hated them seeing her like this. She was supposed to be irrepressibly cheerful, yet try as she might she couldn't even fake it and make it look real anymore. She was thinking back to a few hours ago and Fang's words were circling her head.

_"You knew Ragnarok was the name of destruction"_

She had been looking for an excuse, a way out of telling Fang the truth. It wasn't like she didn't want her to know, she just didn't want her to feel the pain of knowing how many people she hurt. Yet Fang seemed to be more angry than upset.

_"That's no reason to lie to me, you think that's what I want? You of all people!"_

For a minute, she had been scared. Fang had never hit her in the past, never even motioned as if she was going to. Yet she had stood in front of her, fist curled into a ball and poised in anger. She knew her own pathetic little whimper would have done no good so she simply closed her eyes and waited for the punch to land. It wasn't as if she would have tried to avoid it, if Fang needed a way to take it out, who was she to stand In the way?

Yet it never came, in a way she though the light pat to the head was worse. It meant she was being forgiven. Forgiven for something, which in her eyes. Was unforgivable. That's when the tears had welled up and she had looked back into Fang's deep blue eyes. She couldn't keep the walls up. The persona was gone, and all she could do was sob as Fang pulled her into a tight hug.

"You should've shouted, screamed I wouldn't have cared" she yelled out loud, her voice echoing round the lifeless planet, tears splashing down her face.

"Its all my fault! All of it, and sorry isn't good enough, I know. Its. All. My. Fault!"

She sunk to her knees desperately, ignoring the stinging sensation that laced across them as her grazes came into contact with the soil. She ignored the throbbing in her wrist, which had, seemingly gotten worse. Emotionally, she felt numb. She just let the tears roll down her cheeks, needing a way of letting go of her feelings.

This she couldn't face later, this was for the here and now.

Through her sobbing, she neglected to hear footsteps approach her from behind, they would have been hard for a silent person to hear. Lightning walked with her usual grace and perfect poise, just a little slower than usual. So she was startled when a surprisingly soft hand landed lightly on her shoulder.

Jumping forward she scrambled to her feet, alarmed to begin with. Then her heartbeat slowed enough for her to hear Lightning's voice, softer than she had ever heard it.

"Vanille?"

She shivered, she had never heard such a caring tone from the usually hard woman. Then again, she hadn't planned on breaking down in front of her either. It wasn't intentional, she didn't expect anyone to follow her.

Lightning was looking down at her gently, the young girl in front of her was broken, unstable. Yet still intriguing. She thought if it had been anyone else she was trying to console she would have run screaming as far as she could get. That was something Serah had been good at, not her.

Yet she couldn't seem to tear herself away from the heartbreaking sight of the young l'Cie before her.

"What is it?" she didn't want to push, and she was fully aware that words would probably be no good to her yet. Vanille needed familiarity, someone to tell her everything would be okay. She could see this because she was so like Serah. So alike, yet so different.

She felt entirely different towards the young girl than she did her sister, in fact she wasn't yet sure what she was feeling. Protective, yes, but not in a way that an older sibling would protect a younger one. It was something she had never felt before, so she couldn't categorize it just yet.

The younger girl had sunk back to her knees when she had noticed she wasn't in any danger, and Lightning let her instincts kick in. Kneeling down beside her, she allowed herself to become slightly closer to her. Hoping her prescience would have a calming affect. She re-placed her hand on the young girls shoulder, offering a little support.

She knew what would happen next, it seemed Vanille always seemed to hug people when she was upset, so she was ready for when the young girl threw herself into her arms. She tensed up immediately, after all. It was unnatural for her to be comfortable with close contact. Gingerly she raised her arms and wrapped them around the girls small frame, returning the hug. She still didn't speak, she didn't think she needed to. It seemed, for the moment that this was all Vanille really needed.

Vanille was sobbing harder now, into the older woman's shoulder, it was almost as if she hadn't noticed it was Lightning that she was holding onto for dear life, yet in a way her prescience was soothing. More so perhaps, than Fangs would be. It felt strange, to be nestled against the soldier instead. Strange, yet surprisingly warm.

They stayed this way until the sobs subsided, then Lightning loosened the contact, inviting Vanille to let go. She did, very reluctantly.

"What happened?" Lightning said carefully. It was worse than treading on broken glass, she felt the need to be so careful.

Vanille didn't answer straight away, she needed to choose her words carefully. She wasn't sure she was strong enough to come clean to Lightning just yet.

"We were arguing" she said, rather bluntly, wanting to avoid the details as much as she could.

"What about"

"Nothing really" she said quickly.

'Tsk' Lightning though 'Didn't seem that way to me'

She didn't ask, she just continued.

"Then what?"

"Hecaton, my Eidolon appeared. I guess it was because I was angry"

"It usually is" Lightning replied, "I was angry when Odin appeared" she looked away thoughtfully.

"Then we fought" she paused for a minute, giving too many details about the fight would give everything away. "It was just like the other ones I guess"

"Hmmm" Lightning of course knew she was lying, she had been silently observing the whole thing. It had been tougher than any of the fights so far.

She turned her attentions to Vanille's knees, she hadn't tried to heal them, she had just left them as they were. She moved to do it for her when Vanille got hastily to her feet.

"Aren't you going to heal those?" Lightning said, her voice quizzical. It was almost as if the young girl was punishing herself.

Vanille shook her head.

"There just grazes, they'll be fine."

"That's ridiculous, why live with it if you don't have to? Let me." It was more of an order, so Vanille stood silently while Lightning once again used her magic to heal the cuts.

"Better?" she asked when she was finished. Vanille nodded once again. She looked away from Lightning's gaze and moved away from the soldier. She was stopped however, by a searing pain across her wrist, Lightning had grabbed hold of her arm in exactly the same place Fang had earlier, stopping her from moving away. She couldn't help but yelp and pull her arm back.

Lightning moved back as if she had been burned.

"What's wrong?" she asked quickly. Her face turning to concern, much like Fangs had.

"Nothing, you just caught me off guard." she lied back, rubbing her wrist slightly. It was beginning to really hurt.

"Vanille?" she could see the tears returning as the young girl looked down at the ground, she looked truly dejected. Her head was hung low and her shoulders slouched down. Her poise screamed out unhappiness, yet she seemed unwilling to let Lightning know why.

"Its nothing" she turned her back on the soldier, ashamed that the tears were coming once again. She heard Lightning move behind her and she shut her eyes as tight as she could get them, trying to block out the world around her. It was hard however, when she felt Lightning's hand cover her own, warmth spread through her wrist and through her body and she realised that her wrist no longer hurt, Lightning had healed it.

Turning around she buried her head back into the woman's shoulder. Lightning allowed it and stood for a moment in silence before gently turning the young girl and walking them slowly back towards camp. She had hoped talking it out with Fang would have helped the young l'Cie, yet it seemed her assumptions were incorrect. Her secrets ran deeper than she had initially thought and it would take some time before she was ready to tell them. Lightning didn't mind, she was ready for it when she did.

But for now, as they walked across the now silent planet it didn't matter. Not until she was ready to share them.

* * *

**A.N. **

**Well I hoped you enjoyed this one, I'll lighten the mood a little in the next chapter I promise : ) **

**Thanks for reading!**


	15. Memories

**A.N.**

**Well, sorry its been a while guys, well a week actually. Was brewing up this storyline for you, its straying a little off of Vanille and Lightning for a while as I wanted to put Fangs past in there too.**

**Well, I'm not giving too much away, want to know more? Read on!**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx**

* * *

"_Mum! Dad!" Her voice was loud, screaming in fact. She was fully aware that her own words seemed to be spoken slowly. But then again, it seemed that time was stood still. _

_Her hand was outstretched, reaching forward grabbing at thin air. If she could just stretch a little further… _

_If she could just, do something._

_Stretching a little more she managed to grab onto a familiar arm, the shockwave pulled her forwards, nearly plunging her down too. Her grasp was slipping, so she squeezed harder, fully aware that her nails were biting into skin. Then the arm was ripped from her grasp, plunging downwards and away from her._

_She was stood alone, looking down a sloping hillside, rocks and debris lining the way her parents had fallen. She sunk to her knees, tears threatening but never falling. They couldn't be gone, they couldn't and crying would mean they were never coming back. _

"_Fang!" _

_See, there they were. She stood up quickly spinning round. Her eyes were met with a blank page, a blank canvas of land with no one in sight for miles._

"_FANG!" _

_The voice was louder, yet her vision seemed to be blurring. She was screaming, involuntarily, as she too fell backwards, then the world went black. And everything stopped spinning…._

* * *

"Fang!, Fang wake up" she could feel her shoulders being shaken roughly, and sitting up quickly she looked around for who had been screaming.

Looking straight into Vanille's worried face she quickly calmed her breathing down as much as she could. She could see the redheads eyes swimming with tears and realised she must have been out of it for a while.

"You were dreaming" Vanille said bluntly. "Your okay now…"

Funny that, Fang thought, it was usually her that said those words of comfort.

Pushing herself up she realised that sweat was pouring down her face. She smiled meekly at Vanille, offering the little comfort she could. She could feel everyone else's eyes on her too and realised that it must have been her that was screaming. She had been dreaming, she knew that. About her parents. It was a dream she had often, and it haunted her every time. It was one not even Vanille knew about. She had never spoken of her past… how it wasn't an accident. Yet she had always managed to keep the nightmares under wraps, sleeping silently. Yet today, she couldn't hide it.

Vanille was rubbing the bottom of her arm, holding it close. Fang didn't notice this, she was too busy trying to calm her own breathing down.

"Are you alright?" Lightning asked, she had seen Fang tossing and turning and had been worried when Vanille couldn't even shake her awake.

Fang nodded slowly, unsure of the answer.

"I'm fine" she whispered, looking back to Vanille's piercing green eyes. "Really"

Vanille looked puzzled for a moment but quietly accepted her answer. Fang pushed herself to her feet and brushed her clothes down, they were sticking to her sweating body.

"I'm going for a walk" she whispered, more to herself than the others.

"Now?" Vanille squeaked, "Its dark"

Fang looked away, hiding her emotions, just like Vanille did. She had a secret too, and it was one she didn't want people to know, especially Vanille. Right now, the young girl didn't need any more emotional weight on her shoulders. She needed to stay focused on the task ahead, otherwise the journey would be harder on them all.

"I'll be fine, I just need a little fresh air and some space" she walked briskly, feeling everyone's eyes burning into her back.

She wasn't sure why this dream was different to the others, it had never shaken her like this before. It was a memory, one she couldn't change no matter how hard she tried to. Maybe it was because she was back home, but it had been five hundred years since she had seen her home planet. And waking up on cocoon had made her realise how dangerous it was. She loved Gran Pulse, but it, with a little help had taken everything from her. Not just from her, but from Vanille as well.

Looking up, the bright stars were smiling down on her and her mind wandered, back to the day she most wanted to forget…

* * *

_She was just turning twelve years old, and as she strode proudly beside her parents she raised her head high in mock bravery. It was daunting, she had begged her parents to take her out hunting with them, she though she was old enough to learn the ways of the world. _

_Her mother had argued that she wasn't ready, yet her father had given in. After all, she was twelve, not two. _

"_She'll cope, I'm sure" he had said, and as he spoke he looked upon his daughter fondly. It was on this day when her had produced the finely carved weapon, her lance. He had handed it down to her with a proud smile on his face. _

"_For you" he said quietly, "It was your grandfathers, I never could use it, I'm hopeless with things like this. But you, I'm sure one day you'll be able to wield it with skill" _

_Fang smiled back, revelling in the trust her father was showing, it made her feel important. _

"_Are you sure your ready?" her mother asked, her voice worried._

_She nodded, she wasn't too sure if confidence sounded in her voice. She wanted to be strong, she hated being left behind all of the time. _

_So here she was, and she was finding it difficult. _

_It seemed that they had been climbing for hours, they were high up on the Northern Highplain of the Archylte Steppe. Her father had said it was the best hunting plain, you could find kill after kill and never run into anything dangerous. Little did she know, it wasn't the residents of Gran Pulse she had to look out for. _

_She stepped high and lengthened her legs as much as she could. She was a lanky child, thin and scrawny, she had not yet grown into her body yet her height was already taller than her mother. She was very like her father, rough dark hair, messily brushed back and bright blue eyes. The only thing she seemed to inherit from her mother was her slim physique. _

"_Watch your step" her father called down to her, he had already begun descending down the steep slopes to his favourite hunting place, it was down the side of a sheer cliff, yet he knew a safe way down. _

"_It gets a little steeper" he panted back up, Fang was at the back, her mother had gone in the middle so if Fang tripped she would be able to steady her. _

_Kicking a stone down Fang was following slowly, the going rough. She had never walked so far, or been pushed so hard in her life. Her lance was weighing her down, it was strapped across her back, pinning her sari to her and making her back sweaty in the beating sun. _

_She stumbled forward and just managed to get her balance back. Yet she was soon knocked off balance as the ground underneath her feet suddenly crumbled away. She could have sworn she saw a blinding light, briefly hitting the ground just in front of her feet. She didn't have time to think however, as she ground started shaking. She shouted out, recoiling out of the way. Everything was sliding downwards, the rocks, the crumbling earth and she too was swept down with it. _

"_Dad!" she screamed out, making him turn at the sudden noise. She briefly heard him yell out something to her mother as they braced for the falling earth, scrambling at anything they could to hold on. Fang slid down towards them and managed to throw herself sideways, finding a solid rock to cling to, she just prayed that it too didn't begin sliding downwards._

_Looking down she looked in horror as her mother lost her footing and was swept in the current of earth, she heard her own voice calling out as her father grabbed hold of her mothers arm and grabbed the nearest tree root he could find. Letting go would mean death, they would have been swept straight of the side of the cliff. He looked up swiftly, his eyes meeting his daughters in a silent plea for help. _

_She couldn't do anything, there was no way down. Clinging to her rock harder she was trying desperately not to let go, she had to hang on. _

"_Fang! Hang on!" her mother yelled, she was helplessly dangling underneath her husband, scrambling at the side with her feet trying to get a grip. It was impossible, her feet were just meeting unstable earth and try as she might she couldn't get herself back up the edge. _

_Looking back up desperately she whispered up to Fangs father, her voice solemn. _

"_Let me go…" her voice was quiet, barely audible. Fang couldn't hear what they were saying. She knew her father was struggling to hold them both and looked on puzzled as she saw his eyes turn wide. _

"_No!" he yelled back, this Fang heard. "Hold on, I'll get us out of this" he wasn't so sure, his hands were slipping too, if he didn't pull them up. They would both go off the side. _

"_She needs you" her mother hissed back. "You cant get us all out of this…" _

"_Just hold on" he gritted his teeth, his grasp slipping, neither of them were going to make it. _

_He looked back up with an apologetic expression on his face. His eyes met those of his daughters, those who were so similar to his own. He blinked his silent goodbye as his hand slipped completely and they both went sliding downwards, down towards the edge. Hurling them both into space. _

_Fang couldn't move, she couldn't think. She let go of the rock with one hand and reached downwards, almost as if she could reach them if she just stretched. She saw him look up and it ripped her in two, there was sadness in his eyes and she knew he was saying goodbye. No, he couldn't be. They would be fine… _

_She screamed as his hand slipped, and they started sliding. She thought that moment would never end, time had stood still and she could see every detail of their bodies, there faces. Then, they were gone._

"_Mum! Dad!" she wanted to dive down after them, to somehow drag them back up the steep cliff side, but she knew it couldn't happen. Clinging to the rock with both hands again she let everything sink in. Thy weren't gone, the couldn't be, any moment they would climb back up the side both of them smiling and happy. _

_They had climbed down this route hundreds of times, and had never been in any danger. She knew that down the cliff was a sudden drop down to the river below. Even if they hit the water, the impact would kill them. She couldn't think about that, she had to get back up and find a way down to help them._

_But how? _

_Dragging herself upwards she looked at the damage the landslide had done, trees were gone, they had been uprooted, and now that the world fell silent again it looked so different. The terrain had completely changed. It was no longer peaceful and beautiful, it was destroyed. Her rock was one of the only things left standing. _

_She evaluated for a brief moment, looking up at the long climb ahead of her. There wasn't any stable ground to tread on. _

_Suddenly she squinted, looking right to the top of the slope. There was a figure stood, looking down. Their silhouette just showing up against the sunlight. The sun was too bright for her to see any details, yet it looked like a man. Her heart jumped slightly, was it her father? Then she realised the man was shorter, slightly more muscular and it sunk again. _

_Why weren't they helping? Maybe if she called out. They were turning away. _

"_Wait!" she yelled, waving her arms desperately, "Help!" _

_They were walking away, but why? Why wouldn't they help her?_

"_Stop!" she called out desperately, Picking up a rock she hurled it as far as she could, it fell short and came bouncing back, sailing past her and down the cliff in the directions her parents had gone. Maybe he couldn't hear her, but surely he had noticed the landslide? _

_She screamed louder, her voice becoming hoarse, she screamed until she could no longer see the figures retreating back. Sinking down to her knees she felt well and truly helpless. She had to try to scramble up, she had to push herself. It was the only way to help her parents. _

_The climb was slow, and she kept thinking back to the person highlighted against the sun. Something didn't sit quite right._

_It was from this moment onwards, she began to think it wasn't an accident at all…_

* * *

"Fang"

She spun around, the thoughts disappearing from her head swiftly. Vanille was stood behind her, her small frame showing classic signs of worry.

"Are you okay?"

She nodded, she wasn't, not by a long shot. Turning away she looked back at the sky, her feelings were all messed up.

"I'm fine, it was just a bad dream" she said slowly.

"Care to share?" Vanille was closer now, and the young girl sat herself down on the floor next to the older woman.

"Nah, I cant really remember it" she quickly lied, "I guess I was just having a nightmare"

Vanille looked puzzled at this, it had looked a little more personal than a random nightmare, besides, this was the strongest woman she knew. Stronger perhaps that even Lightning, she battled monsters for fun. So what could really shake her up in a dream like that? She dropped it for a brief moment, she hugged her knees to her chest tight, like she usually did.

Her arm was pulled from her quickly, yet gently.

"What happened?" Fang whispered, she could see a dark bruise running round Vanille's forearm, lined with the half moon shapes of fingernails…

"Did I do that?" she asked horrified. Vanille paused for a moment, she couldn't really lie, she ought to have healed it back at the camp but was too worried about Fang, she had wanted to follow her straight away. So slowly she nodded.

"Its alright, you wouldn't wake up, you didn't know you were doing it. I was really worried."

"Its not alright" Fang said angrily, "I cant believe I…"

"You were asleep" Vanille whispered, "It wasn't your fault."

"Why didn't you heal it?" Fang asked puzzled, sometimes she wondered what was running through the younger girls head.

"Why don't you?"

"Huh?" Fang was puzzled, she didn't know that kind of magic.

"It's the perfect time to learn." Vanille whispered. "Here I'll show you."

Fang swallowed, she was slightly worried, what if she messed up? Could she accidentally hurt her more?

"Relax" Vanille giggled, "Its really easy, you just have to think, really dig into your emotions. Let them travel through your body, want to heal. Want to help the person your focused on."

Fang nodded, the least she could do was try. Holding her hands out she closed her eyes, trying to think happily, yet her memories kept getting in the way. All she could see was the man stood high on the top of the slope, the man who had changed her life. She curled her hands into balls angrily, all happy thoughts forgotten. She couldn't focus, not right now. Opening her eyes she shook her head apologetically.

"Its alright, your just a little stressed" Vanille soothed, so she held her own hand out, and allowed her own magic to work, healing it instantly.

"Its hard, learning new things, you know that"

"I'm sorry, I'm just a little overwhelmed" Fang whispered, it was half true. She had no idea where they went from here. She felt guilty, Vanille had come clean to her about her being Ragnarok and she was hiding something huge from her friend. It was for her own good, Vanille didn't need thoughts like that in her head.

"Me too" Vanille admitted, "I mean, times got to be running short right?" she glanced down at her leg quickly, she didn't dare look at her brand, she was scared about what she might see. So Fang did it for her, swiftly looking at the marks progress. It earned her a surprised little yelp from Vanille.

"We've got time yet" she said, her voice relieved.

Vanille smiled meekly, Fang never did hold back when it came down to privacy. She liked the fact Fang said 'We' even though her own brand was halted, she always acted like time was running out for the both of them.

"The suns coming up" Fang nodded to the horizon, she didn't know how long they had been sitting there, she just liked the company Vanille was providing, it had been a long time since she had felt so secure. Since they had sat together like this. Yet she couldn't help but think there wouldn't be many moments like this left for them to enjoy.

"Should we head back?" Vanille said quietly, "I bet Lightning will be worried"

"Lightning? Worried?… about you maybe"

"What do you mean?" Vanille was puzzled,

"You'd have to be blind not to see it" Fang answered playfully.

"What?" Vanille really was clueless.

"She likes you" Fang blurted out, grinning at the expression on Vanille's face, she had turned rather red.

"No way" Vanille argued, "She's just being protective."

"That's more than protective…" Fang grinned, she couldn't believe Vanille couldn't see what was right in front of her. The girl really was clueless.

"Alright, well, lets go then" Fang said quickly, leaping back to her feet she swiftly walked away. Leaving Vanille to mull over what she said. It didn't take long however until Vanille leapt to her feet and had come running after her. She smiled.

It was times like this she was happy to be home.

* * *

**A/N.**

**Well, this is a little of Fangs back story, I will expand it a little further as I go along, so its not over yet. I don't like to just focus on one person, I like to get them all in there somewhere, and although it is a Vanille X Light fic, I cant forget Fang :D**

**Thanks for reading !**


	16. Learning Curve

**Hello there! Sorry its been a while since I last updated I've been really really busy with the horses! **

**Thank you to everybody who has reviewed the last few chapters, its nice to see some new faces in there! Yet it seems some people have given up on this one : (. **

**No worries though, I'm not giving up on it I promise, so for all you that are still reading, here's the next bit! **

**Enjoy! **

**XX**

* * *

"Lightning"

The pink haired soldier didn't raise her eyes from the task at hand, instead she continued sharpening her gun blade, running the stone across the metal with care. She didn't need to look to know who it was that had approached her, it was a voice she was beginning to know so well.

"Can I sit?"

Lightning nodded, sighing she carefully placed her weapon on the ground and looked sideways at the girl who had just sat next to her. It was becoming a habit, Vanille seeking out her company, she knew why, the young girl was worried about her companion, Fang hadn't been acting herself just lately.

"What's wrong?" she said, glancing sideways. Vanille was sat as she usually did, with her arms curled around her knees, hugging them close to her body.

"I just cant sleep" Vanille replied, she looked over at Lightning and gave a small smile. Lightning could see the girls tiredness reflected in her eyes, she had been awake listening to Fang tossing and turning. Wanting to know so desperately what was bothering the older woman.

"Have you asked her?" Lightning offered. Vanille shook her head.

"She wouldn't tell me what was wrong, she says they are just nightmares, but I've never seen her like this. She has never had them, not as long as I can remember.

"There must be a reason" Lightning mused, "Do you think its coming back here? After all this time?"

"I'm not sure, I mean she hasn't really said much about her past, she keeps talking in her sleep… I don't know, she just seems unsettled"

Lightning was listening patiently, she wanted to help, not so much for Fang but for Vanille.

"I've heard her too" she said quietly, looking away allowing the nightly breeze to lift her hair from her head and cast it sideways. The dark light of the moon made her skin out to be paler and Vanille couldn't help but sit and stare for a moment.

The soldier was a picture of perfection, from her subtle coloured hair to her long slender body, it was almost as if she was carved out of ivory. Yet she lacked the fragile appearance.

Lightning felt herself blush slightly at Vanille's gaze, the girl had taken to staring at her more lately. It was a little strange to have constant eyes on her.

"Maybe taking her mind off things would help?" Vanille said slowly, she had a slight twinkle in her eyes that made Lightning raise a curious eyebrow.

"What do you have in mind?"

"You'll see!" Vanille said enthusiastically, leaping to her feet lightly.

"What do you mean?"

"You'll see, wait until morning!" with this she turned and skipped happily away. Leaving Lightning to ponder exactly what she meant. She couldn't guess if she wanted to, she shook her head in confusion, she had no idea sometimes about the young redhead, she changed her mood like the wind.

So instead she just bowed her head and picked her weapon back up with a sigh.

'Oh well, I guess I'll see in the morning' she thought.

* * *

And she didn't have to wait long, in fact, as she opened her eyes groggily she realised that the sun had only just peeked its head into view. She wondered to start with, what had woken her until she saw Vanille's smiling face hovering above her.

"Vanille, I didn't know you meant this early. She rubbed her eyes and looked around to find everyone else doing the same, Snow was yawning like crazy and Hope looked half dead.

"I wanted an early start"

"For what?"

"Get up and you'll see!" The girl nodded excitedly.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." She groaned and pulled herself to her feet.

"So what's going on?" Sazh asked, not happy about being woken so early.

"Yeah Vanille, couldn't we have slept a little longer?" Snow piped up. "Only you could possibly be awake and happy at this hour, see even Light's tired" he nodded over at the soldier, who in return glared at him. He let the smile leave his face.

"Its the perfect time!" Vanille said happily.

"For what?"

"Training!"

Everyone looked as if Vanille had just cast a doom spell above their heads.

Fang groaned, she knew exactly what the young girl meant.

Hope however, was clueless.

"What do you mean, training?"

"Well, we all need to learn new things right? Its getting to the point where battles are getting a lot harder, and we could do with everyone learning some new skills" she purposely looked over at Fang and gave a worried look. "And there's no better way to learn than by us teaching each other"

"What do you mean, like fighting each other?" Snow looked confused.

"I mean like sparring yeah, but friendly, it would be the perfect way to pick up new magic easily."

"Are you crazy? We can't fight amongst ourselves!" Hope looked horrified, Lightning however stepped forward, the tiredness leaving her body. She too looked over at Fang, maybe Vanille was right, it would take her mind off things.

"I think it's a good idea" she said, addressing the group. Everyone fell silent, Hope was biting his bottom lip nervously.

"Really?" Vanille said smiling.

"Yeah, why not, we are going to need the skills if we meet things that are more powerful, and looking at the fal'Cie in the tower you said we need to go through, I guess it couldn't hurt to toughen up a little."

"Great, so shall we take it in turns?"

"I think we should just pair up" Fang said, liking the idea. "Pair up with someone who can teach you something different, Hope what did you want to learn the most?"

The young boy looked around quickly, he didn't want to come up against Lightning, she was far tougher than he was, instead he looked at Snow for help. It would help if he could defend himself better, he wasn't sure he had the guts to try being a Commando just yet.

"I guess I could learn to be a Sentinel" he said quickly.

"And I could use being a Synergist" Snow scratched the back of his head and grinned slightly, glad he wasn't paired with Lightning, he was scared she might kill him. Besides, he could go easy on the kid.

"Okay then" Vanille smiled, "Fang, with me?" Fang nodded, she needed to learn how to be a medic, she felt useless without that skill, looking around she almost felt sorry for Sazh, he looked horrified having Lightning as a partner.

"I guess we can never have too many healers" Lightning said, she felt slightly disappointed at having Sazh for a partner, she wanted more of a challenge, but then again, pairing with Vanille would have been nice too.

"Okay lets get to work."

* * *

She panted as she leapt sideways, her small body adjusting to offensive attacks. The sun had risen, casting its glow down on her body, making the sweat pour from her forehead and the skin across her shoulders and stomach heat up. She was panting, the fighting pace was relentless and she was entirely unused to this kind of physical work. Her weapon was a slight hindrance, she was beginning to realise that it wasn't much good as an offensive weapon, and the only thing she could do was dance sideways, allowing the hooks to strike from the binding rod and whip her target in vulnerable places.

"Keep it up, your doing well" She heard Fang say to her. Quickening her breath she put on a small spurt of speed and leapt round to the left, the small hooks shooting out and speeding towards Fangs feet. Fang however was too fast and quickly jumped as if it was a mere skipping rope. She could see Vanille was starting to tire, it was a hard thing to learn, to use physical strength that she didn't have.

"You can do better than that!" She teased, Vanille was frustrated, and beginning to resent the fact she suggested this in the first place. Everyone had taken a breather to watch what was becoming a rather spectacular battle, they knew Vanille was a powerful magic caster, but it seemed she could also hold her own as a Commando.

She swung round on her toes quickly, once again planting her feet and allowing the hooks to fly, she aimed them low again, deliberately heading for Fang's feet, she saw the woman preparing to jump, a sly smile across her face.

Flicking her wrist, she quickly changed the direction of her weapon, casting the rods upwards at the last second, as Fang jumped the rods wrapped themselves around her ankles and bound her feet together. She gave a muffled cry as she realised she couldn't land on her feet. Instead she landed ungracefully and fell sideways, her legs tangled.

Vanille quickly shot forward and launched at the older woman, pinning her arms to the ground as well and giving a quick smile of victory.

Fang's eyes widened in shock, amazed that she had been caught out so well. She flattened the palms of her hands and raised them slightly in defeat, so that Vanille could get off her.

She did so slowly, trying to regain her breath. Fang wasn't tired, but it had taken it out of the young girl. Everyone was looking on in amazement, it seemed Vanille was full of surprises.

"Nice work" Lightning said, walking forward and offering her hand to Fang, the plan was working though, it seemed like she was enjoying herself.

"Yeah Vanille, I guess its safe to say you can go offensive now" Snow smiled, he was slightly annoyed, it seemed that strengthening allies was still proving difficult to him. Hope however, had taken to the Sentinel role quite well and try as he might, Snow couldn't break down his Steelguard.

Lightning had found the role of a Synergist easy to master, her magic extending and allowing her to achieve several new abilities, and Sazh was becoming a half decent healer.

"You okay?" Vanille asked Fang, walking to her side to make sure she hadn't done any serious damage, amazed to find not even a scrape.

"Your right, it is easy" Fang smiled, she had just healed herself, perfectly it seemed. Vanille smiled proudly, there was hope yet.

"So how come I had to work so hard?" she joked.

"Cause this was all your idea!" Fang laughed, ruffling her hair.

Lightning watched them closely, feeling a knot forming in her stomach, looking away she growled at herself, why was she getting so worked up watching them together?

"It it time to take a breather?" Hope asked innocently, quite proud of his achievements today. Lightning nodded and turned swiftly, looking for somewhere to rest. Scanning around she felt her body freeze, the hairs on the back of her neck were stuck up and she instantly knew they were being watched. Her senses acute and fast.

"Shhhh" she quickly hissed to her companions, not liking the sudden eerie quiet around them. It seems she was the only one that had noticed but as everyone fell silent they too began to feel nervous.

"Something's watching" Fang whispered, scanning around, squinting at the landscape.

Vanille slowly turned around, her back still pressed close to Fang's, she had an uneasy feeling, one she was sure she had felt before. Yet she couldn't quite put her finger on what. Her legs were willing her to move forward so she carefully obeyed, stepping forward as quietly as she could possibly muster, heading towards some nearby rocks. She stopped suddenly seeing a glint of something white.

"Over here" she whispered, nodding towards the rocks. It seemed like the perfect hiding place for something to be stalking them, something big, its body was hidden, yet she was sure she saw a glint of an eye.

Lightning pressed her finger to her lips and began to creep forward to where Vanille was stood, her hand drawing the gun blade. She noticed out of the corner of her eye that everyone else had done the same.

Vanille stood rooted, an unknown yet familiar fear creeping through her body, she squinted into the shadows and her eyes widened in horror. Green eyes met red ones as a face began to appear, she looked on as a paw with sharp long ivory claws struck the ground. Snarling white teeth grinned at her as it opened her mouth and she realised in horror that she had met this monster before, a long time ago.

She wanted to scream, to run, yet she couldn't, her feet wouldn't allow it. She heard the quickening of pace as it bounded towards them and shook her head, willing the nightmare to end.

Lightning rushed forward and leapt in front of her, her blade held steady and high.

"Get back!" she yelled over her shoulder, slightly adjusting her stance. She wasn't sure why Vanille had frozen, but she wasn't about to see her get hurt.

"Vanille move!" Fang yelled, tugging the young girl backwards and snapping her out of her trance, she pushed her in Snows direction and leapt forward to join Lightning, readying her lance.

"Keep her safe!" Lightning instructed as Snow hid Vanille behind him, taking up a Steelguard that would protect the both of them and Hope too joined him doing the same.

Sazh raised his guns at the galloping creature, it didn't seem quite like the others they had faced, it seemed more… human.

Lightning noticed that it had a mad glint to its eyes as it descended upon them, it wasn't the biggest of things they had faced, but it seemed nasty. The look it bore down upon them almost made it connect with the l'Cie before it. They didn't have time however to muse any further, instead they braced to meet the challenge it was roaring out.

Vanille wasn't sure what was going round her head, she had seen this monster before and she would never forget its haunting eyes, the bluish tint to its fur or the long sharp claws she had seen it use. She had seen what it was capable of, felt the heartbreak it had brought into her life and she wasn't sure if she felt fear or resentment.

She was nine years old, and one of these creatures had killed her parents.

Leaping around Snow, she didn't think of what she was doing, she heard him yell and heard him begin to run after her but she didn't care. Her hand reached for her weapon as tears of hate stung her eyes, she was sprinting now, towards Lightning and Fang, towards that monster.

"Fang, Lightning!" Snow yelled, wanting someone to stop the fleeing girl, she would get herself killed.

Lightning and Fang spun around just in time to see Vanille sprint past, reaching out they both grabbed for her desperately, yelling out as they did so.

What happened next was a blur to Lightning, she spun around, forgetting the creature for a dangerous moment, Fang had done the same, instead she reached out and allowed the young girl to run straight into her, sending them both backwards, she saw Fang lift Vanille by the arms, keeping her pinned back. Her eyes were fearful, not knowing what Vanille was doing.

She saw Fang yell as she picked herself up off the floor, realising Vanille had knocked her gun blade out of her hand, she looked around desperately, before returning her eyes to the monster. Spinning around she realised in horror that it was far too close, she had taken her eyes off it for too long, it pounced forward, knocking her to the ground in a simple motion, claws biting into flesh and teeth snarling down menacingly.

Fang pushed Vanille aside quickly, lurching forward she realised she wasn't going to get there in time, the look of fear on Vanille's face told her that, she saw Lightning go down underneath the creature and spotted her gun blade lying on the floor, disowned. She could distinctly remember yelling out, not that it would have done much good. As she saw its teeth go down she heard a scream from behind her, instantly knowing it was Vanille who was calling, she was helpless, she couldn't move. All she could do was listen to the echoes of a terrified voice calling out a name.

"_LIGHTNING!_"

* * *

**A/N. **

**I know, I'm sorry I've left you with a little cliff-hanger!, *Smiles evilly* . **

**Promise, ill not take such a long time to update next time, and try not to leave you in suspense too long :D . Thanks a lot of reading : ) **


	17. Reckless Bravery

**A/N.**

**Hey guys, well, it was nice to receive all of your kind reviews for the last chapter, and I apologize for making you all wait so long for the next one, seeming it was a not-so-nice cliffhanger!**

**So I wont keep you waiting any longer!**

**Enjoy**

**Xx**

* * *

She couldn't move. Not even slightly, even if she could, fear was stopping her from moving forward. Her heartbeat was pumping in her chest faster than she could count, her mouth was dry and the next few seconds seemed to take hours to pass. She couldn't speak, couldn't think. She was half hoping that her eyes were deceiving her, that what she had just seen wasn't real. She could remember yelling out, not that her voice would have done much good. The monster before her had pinned Lightning to the ground like a rag doll, she had looked away desperately when its teeth had bared down.

Eventually, she managed to stumble forward, eyes wide, hands drawn to her mouth in shock. She realised, that a pair of strong arms had looped themselves through the back of hers, pinning her to their owners chest. She noticed in desperation that it was Sazh and pulled against his grasp.

"Let me go!" the young redhead yelled, fighting against him. His strength, for an aged man was incredible and she knew she was no match. Instead her eyes fell upon the youngest member of the group, he too was making his way forward, towards where Lightning lay…

Fang leapt forward and in one daring move, hurled herself screaming onto the monsters back, yelling out as she brought her lance down upon hard skin. Her bravery earning her a quick fall to the ground as he spun around and threw her off. It was with this movement that Vanille saw something that she would remember for a long time.

"Lightning" she whispered, looking down at the immobile soldier on the floor. Even from a distance she could see a flow of crimson from the young woman's stomach, teeth marks that had met their target.

She felt Sazh's grip slip slightly at the sight that lay before him, his restraining task lost. With this she managed to wiggle her way free and found herself sprinting forward quickly, unaware that her feet were even moving, her eyes were too focused on Lightning.

"Vanille stay back!" she heard Fang yell as she darted across in front of the monster before her, she narrowed her eyes and just sprinted past. It pounded after her quickly and Fang yelled out, jumping in front of it, putting herself in between it and Vanille. It wanted desperately to follow the younger girl and launched itself at Fang, biting down on the lance with tremendous force. Fang grunted and pulled the lance upwards quickly. She had to keep it away. Lightning's life could depend on it.

Vanille skidded to a stop next to the fallen soldier, immediately dropping to her knees, soft skin meeting hard ground in one slightly painful motion. She ignored the twinge and looked on in horror.

"Lightning" she whispered, hardly audible.

She was a mess, a deep gash lay across one side of her stomach, ranging down to her hip bone. She knew it had hit something big by the amount of blood that was spilling down to the ground. She quickly mustered all of the magic she could, feeling the warm spells flowing over her outstretched hands and down to the young woman who had just voluntarily saved her life.

Her breathing was slightly ragged, her pulse quick. Her body trying to pump the blood that she was losing round, yet not being able to. Vanille had never seen such a bad wound, only on those that were already deceased. She shook her head. Lightning was different, stronger. She had to be okay, she had to. The claw marks that lay across her shoulders healed up nearly instantly, yet her stomach wasn't changing. Vanille could feel her own heartbeat quicken at the thought.

She could see Hope running towards them too, but he was stopped abruptly by Snow, he had promised Lightning that he would protect Hope no matter what, and it was just too dangerous. Fang was doing her best to keep the beast preoccupied, luring it away from Vanille and Lightning.

"C'mon Light, your going to be fine" Vanille whispered, reassuring herself more than anything. Inside, her stomach was doing back flips, she could hear the sounds of the battle behind her but took no notice, she had to help Lightning. Yet her spells didn't seem to be having much of an effect, she looked on in horror as the bleeding still continued. This time she covered the wound with her hands, ignoring the horrible feeling of blood washing between her fingers she concentrated her cure spells more accurately, pinpointing the wound. She knew no matter how hard she tried, it would not close completely.

Yet she had to do something. And quickly.

* * *

"Over here!" Fang yelled as the beast turned back towards her friend, she was learning that its attacks were slow and unfocused and if she was fast she could easily jump sideways and out of reach as he charged. It was only when Snow came in for a more direct approach she had to think on her feet.

"Snow don't!" she yelled as the young man rushed the creature, she knew that direct attacks would fail miserably. He didn't heed her advice however, and rammed into its back, he quickly recoiled as if he had run headlong into a brick wall.

"What the…?" he cursed, and his eyes grew wide as the creature swiped backwards, sending him back and off his feet.

Fang was quickly to his side, she offered her hand and helped pull him to his feet.

"Thanks" he said appreciative.

"Keep moving, its slow, you'll have no chance if you try and attack offensively, you have to think a little more defensively." he nodded, and they quickly jumped sideways as another attack came their way.

"See your learning already" Fang half smiled, she had to keep their hopes up, looking nervously back at Vanille she narrowed her eyes in hate. This monster, it had taken everything. She promised Vanille she wouldn't see her hurt again, and she was going to stick to that.

"You sound like you've had some experience with these?" Snow looked at her quizzically, he had a feeling she was hiding something.

Fang bit her lower lip nervously, she hadn't wanted Vanille to know at all, yet it seemed they were all in danger if she didn't let everyone know what was going on. She looked over at Lightning and closed her eyes. Breathing a sigh she decided coming clean was probably for the best.

"It's a fal'Cie" she sighed, ignoring the look of amazement on Snow's face.

"What?" he half yelled. "This thing is a fal'Cie?" he looked back at the monster with an awe stricken look on his face. Fang nodded sadly.

"You weren't there, back in the caves with Vanille and Lightning. So you don't know. This thing..." she nodded over to where the fal'Cie was snarling, "Killed her parents" she nodded this time to Vanille, who had looked up at Snows loud words.

'That's why its so focused on her, it remembers' she thought.

* * *

Vanille couldn't believe what she was hearing, or rather, what she wasn't supposed to hear. This thing, the monster that had maimed Lightning, caused her the trauma of losing her parents. It was a fal'Cie. So it wasn't just a random monster, it was _the_ monster that had caused her so much heartbreak. She paused for a moment, looking up at Fang and briefly catching her guilty gaze. She knew, Fang knew and she hadn't told her. She shook her head, she had to deal with it later. She repressed the feeling inside of her as she looked back down at Lightning.

She could feel the perspiration on her forehead as she worked, her magic draining energy from her own body and trying to pass it to Lightning. She breathed a little sigh of relief as the bleeding seemed to slow slightly.

"See your going to be fine" she said, putting a little more pressure on the wound. The soldiers eyes were still closed and her skin was pale but Vanille felt a little more confident.

"Never do that again" she whispered, the wound was closing now, as much as she would get it too anyway. Panting she lifted her hands and looked down at the wound, it was still there. Still prominent, but the bleeding had ceased. It would leave a scar, she was sure.

"Next time, just let me take the hit… it was my mistake" she whispered, tears filling her eyes, the soldier had laid down her life and pulled Vanille out of the way, losing her only way of defending herself in the process. Vanille never knew a time where she had seen Lightning drop her weapon.

Looking up she noticed that the battle had moved a little further away and was glad when Hope came to join her, finally slipping past unnoticed.

"Is she okay?" he asked quickly, kneeling down next to Vanille.

"I think so" Vanille smiled slightly, yet it soon faded. Relief turned to hate once more and she rose to her feet. This had to be finished, here and now. Too many emotions were swirling about in her head.

"Stay here, keep an eye on her" she whispered, her voice low. Hope looked at her, slightly puzzled and slightly afraid.

Vanille walked slowly away from the young boy, her eyes were fixed on one point on the floor. She didn't look up into the monsters eyes, it would make everything real, all of the emotions she was holding deep within her chest would rise up, the tears would spill and she would be useless. No. she clenched her hands together into tight fists and walked faster towards where Lightning's weapon lay. The gunblade shone up at her in all its glory, Lightning would have been wielding it effortlessly in battle if she hadn't have tried to save her. So instead, the young l'Cie leant down and casually tested the weight of it with one hand. She grunted at the force it seemed to be providing, and realising she needed both hands, slowly picked the blade up to hip height.

"What are you doing?" Hope yelled.

"Just stay with her" Vanille was annoyed now, why did no one listen?

"Are you crazy? You'll get hurt!"

She chose to ignore his comments, she just let them wash over her. This was something she had to do, for her family. _For Lightning_. The feelings twinges more at the thought of the injured woman, She could really use her rational advice right now. Instead, she was faced with the same short temper.

"Vanille stay back!" Fang panted as she marched forward, her usual swinging stride replaced with a more agile straight demeanour. She wasn't sure whether it was the weight of the blade or simply what she was feeling. She turned to face the monster before her, she looked straight into his dark red eyes and closed her own slightly in anger. Right now she didn't care what happened. She just wanted to see it die.

"Just, stop" Fang was closer to her now, yet as the woman reached out to grab her arm she swiftly moved back, her eyes never leaving the fal'Cie.

"You cant do this alone Vanille..." Sazh spoke to her left, "What was you hoping to achieve, Huh? It will kill you in a heartbeat"

"I cant just sit here and do nothing!" She was close to tears now, their voices swirling in her head. "What do you want me to do? Pretend none of it happened?"

She looked back up at the sound of Snow's voice, he was slowly being beaten down.

"We need your help on this one Vanille, but as you, don't pretend to be something your not, you'll get hurt" Fang soothed,

"You should have told me" Vanille growled in response, her hand looping round the cold blade of Lightning's weapon, "Why did you hide it? Why not just tell me?"

"Because i knew you would act like this... rush in blindly. And I know, I know its hard when your mind wants revenge but trust me. You'll end up hurting yourself and everyone else in the process..."

"How do you know what I'm feeling Fang? How can you say that?"

"Because my parents were killed too..." Fang paused for a minute, her voice louder than she meant it to be. "It wasn't an accident, don't you see? They were murdered all of them, all because... because we are the chosen and they had to draw us together." She had to make Vanille see sense.

Vanille didn't know what to say for a moment, Fang's words were slowly tricking into her subconscious. The feeling of resentment was slowly ceasing too, and fear was taking its place. She was confused, questions were swirling in her head.

"Fang, i..."

"A little help over here!" Snow broke through both of their thoughts, he was in a Steelguard, yet it seemed the fal'Cie was still managing to break through, against one person it wasn't surprising. Fang wasn't sure if all of them could take this thing down without Lightning. She had began to realise that Lightning was the glue that held everyone together, and without her help. They were lost.

"We should argue later" Fang smiled. "Hero needs our help" she nodded towards Snow. Vanille's expression turned a little bit lighter and Fang knew she was beginning to see sense. She looked down at her shaking hands, the weight of the gun blade weighing heavy on her arm. Lightning's blood still stained them red, a reminder of what she had nearly just lost. Fang reached out and covered her hand with her own, coaxing the young girl to let the blade slip from her grasp and clang to the floor. Her arms were aching in protest for holding it too long. Instead she un-holstered her own weapon, her body breathing a sigh of relief at its slight weight.

Nodding to Fang she rushed forwards, holding the binding rod tightly, fear was beginning to creep back into her mind as the thought of the daunting task that lay ahead. She glanced back at Hope and Lightning, and the feeling was soon replaced with one of determination.

She could feel her hands tingling with unshed magic and quickly released a round of attacks focusing all of her energy on the murderous fal'Cie. She had never hated something so much in her life. Fang was busy performing strong attacks and Sazh was backing them up the best he could, with Snow playing Sentinel. She felt one of Sazh's spells wash over her and her energy immediately returned. Even if they could just weaken it slightly. Yet it was strong, perhaps the strongest fal'Cie they had been faced with.

"You up for this?" Sazh asked her quickly, noting the look she had written on her face. She nodded, almost a little too quickly. Now that the initial adrenaline had passed she wasn't so sure. How were they supposed to take this thing down? They couldn't fight it, even with Fang and Snow, they were no real threat without Lightning. Even if they summoned the Eidolons, they would still be in for a tough battle. They had to think quickly.

Her mind took her back to the night she wanted to forget. She was just a kid, she had turned tail and ran. Ran faster than she thought possible, her speed was the only thing that had saved her back then. Her speed and her fathers advice.

She felt her legs twitch her forward, something crossing her mind that she hadn't thought of before now.

She had outrun it before right? So she could do it again.

She didn't know if what she was about to do was either brave or just darn stupid, but all she knew was she had to do something. Looking back at Lightning she though that leading it away was probably the best thing.

"I'm sorry" she whispered.

Glancing over at Fang she gave a half apologetic look, Fang looked back at her puzzled, not liking the twinkle in the young girls eye.

"Get her out of here" she said, her tone serious. She nodded towards Lightning and saw Fang open her mouth to say something in return. She didn't wait to find out what.

She quickly sprinted forward, her feet biting into the earth as she sprang towards the creature, she quickly sent a magic attack its way, hitting it squarely across the face. Roaring out it span round to face her. Its eyes menacingly meeting her own. She yelled out, causing it to start forwards. It was almost as if it remembered the sound of her voice. She didn't care, now she was going to have to run for it.

"VANILLE!" she heard Fang yell after her as she too set off running, she wasn't nearly as fast though, in fact Vanille was sure that the only member of the group capable of catching her would have been Lightning, but that wouldn't happen. Not at the minute at least.

She soon heard its crashing footsteps behind her as her feet pounded the ground quickly, looking over her shoulder she noticed she was gaining distance away from the others and leading it with her.

Exactly like she had planned.

Unfortunately, she didn't think about what to do next, her breath was already beginning to quicken, her sprinting pace hard to maintain. She had climbed the tallest point when she was younger, and it hadn't followed her. If she could just keep it far enough behind her to find something high up she would be fine. She hoped the others had the sense to move from where they were. If she hid and it turned back, this would all have been for nothing.

Even though her breath was catching, she knew she could push herself harder, hearing it rushing behind her drove her on. Gritting her teeth she ran as flat out as she could without tripping. She had to keep going, if she slipped it would be on her in a heartbeat.

Paying no attention to where she was going she hurled herself into the closest bunch of trees, putting more distance between them as its large frame crashed through the debris. She could weave nimbly in between the small trunks whereas it was more adapt to hunting in the open air, where it could run without hindrance.

As much as she wanted to see it die, the others safety had to come first. They had done so much for her, it was time she repaid the favour.

Setting her eyes on the path ahead of her she quickly jumped across a little stream, leaping from one boulder to the next quickly taking care to balance against there slippery surface. Once she was over she scanned the sky line, seeing the tallest tree she could she made a beeline for it, weaving back into more dense growth.

She had time to look over her shoulder, just seeing the blue -grey hint of its fur a good while back, struggling through the undergrowth. The world was silent apart from its silent crashing. She was confident that she had lead it far enough. Leaping towards the trunk she grabbed the bottom branch and heaved herself up. Her body light enough to leap from branch to branch, climbing nimbly until she reached the top.

She took a minute, her hand clutching her heart which she could feel was beating fast against her ribcage. Her side aching from the effort. Peering down, she looked in satisfaction as the fal'Cie hurled past, looking for her further on.

A smile graced her lips, she should be safe up here, and providing they listened, the others should be too far a way for it to find them.

Looking around she studied her own surroundings, forgetting which way she had run from, she hadn't paid much attention she had been too content with trying to stay ahead.

The sun was beginning to fade from the sky and she noticed the temperature had dropped considerably, the sweat that laced her skin cooling down and feeling the bite of a colder breeze. Wrapping her arms around herself she listened quietly, the sounds of the beast moving were beginning to fade slowly away.

It would be back, she knew that much, and they could deal with it when Lightning was back to full strength. She would have some kind of revenge, eventually.

Knowing she had outsmarted it was enough for the time being. Now there was just one problem. She felt her heart sink at the very thought, as she looked around the lonely planet she called home.

She had no idea how to get back...

* * *

**A.N. **

**Phew! Glad that's over, hmm, that was hart to write and I'm not too happy with it, I suppose its leading up to the next one fairly well though. **

**Well anyway thank you for reading and I hope you guys liked it : )**


	18. Through the Darkness

**A/N. **

**Hmmm… yeah I wasn't happy with the last chapter, and it seems neither were you guys, although a couple of you took the time to give me some feedback which I much appreciate! So thank you. Its nice to have reached 50 reviews for this story! **

**Hopefully this chapter is a little bit more to taste :D **

**XX**

* * *

Pain.

That was the first thing that struck her. The only way she would have been able to describe it was being run over by a rather large vehicle. As she opened her eyes a sudden feeling of panic gripped her. The world was dark, little white lights were dancing in front of her eyes and it took her a few minutes to realise the temperature of her skin indicated that it was currently night time. As her eyes began to adjust, the dancing white spots revealed themselves to simply be stars.

She forced herself to lie still for a moment, getting her bearings. Reaching up with her hand she touched the point of discomfort on her lower abdomen, finding material wrapped carefully around her midsection. She was pleasantly surprised that it did not hurt to touch, and had seemingly healed up partly.

Deciding it was time to move she grimaced as she pushed herself vertical, her head throbbing as she did so. It had been too long since she had moved and her muscles screamed out at her in protest.

"Sis!" Snow was the first one to notice movement and she had never seen him move so fast as he scurried over to see if she was okay.

"Your awake, you had the kid kind of scared" he nodded over to Hope who in return walked over and gave him a swift elbow in the ribs.

"I knew she was going to be fine" he blushed looking down at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was run over, or hit by a Behemoth." she replied sarcastically, noticing that her voice was still raspy too.

"Here" Snow said gently handing her a flask of water, which she gladly took from him. "Well it wasn't a Behemoth but it was a pretty big fal'Cie" he added looking at her curiously.

"A fal'Cie?" she nearly choked on the cool liquid as she stopped her drinking to announce her surprise. "That thing was a fal'Cie?"

Snow nodded, cracking his knuckles.

"Yeah, and it was pretty tough" Sazh said, coming to see if the soldier was alright.

"I can feel that" Lightning answered, she looked down at her stomach, a bright white bandage had been wrapped around her midsection, she was amazed to see there was no blood. If it was something that required a bandage surely it couldn't be healed?

"Vanille" Sazh said, seeing the puzzled expression across the young woman's face. "She healed you, well the best she could. It was pretty bad there for a minute"

Lightning noticed they all looked worried, as if she was going to drop dead any minute.

"I've had worse" she reassured, "Besides, Vanille's a good healer, you should trust her a little more." she looked around surprised that she hadn't come bounding over like she usually did.

"Yeah but you didn't see her" Hope said, his voice solemn. "I've never seen her so wound up"

"Are you surprised?" Sazh shot at the young boy.

"What do you mean?" Lightning could briefly remember restraining the young redheaded l'Cie. Looking down at her side she noticed that her gun blade wasn't in its usual place.

"It was the thing that killed her parents" Snow said, even his voice was gentler than usual. The usual cocky tone had disappeared. "You should have seen her Light, It was like she was possessed"

"Where is she?" she asked the inevitable question and everyone looked at each other sheepishly.

"Well you see…" Snow scratched the back of his head, "That's the problem"

"What's the problem?" Lightning felt her heart jump, despite the pain she hurled herself to her feet, ignoring the twinge her muscles and the wound gave her.

"Well we don't really know" he continued. "Fang's looking for her"

"What do you mean you don't know?" her tone was slightly angrier as she spoke, clutching her stomach as the vibrations of her own harsh voice shook her body.

"Like we said, she was upset. She healed you and grabbed your gun blade. She could have gotten herself killed but Fang stopped her. Seeing you… it made her remember everything bad"

"So what, why isn't she here?" Lightning didn't like what she was hearing, it was dark, and Vanille was out there by herself.

"She lured it away, we couldn't fight it, not without you." Sazh said, raising his own hand to the back of his head. "So she ran, and took it with her."

"Didn't you go after her?" Lightning curled her hands into balls angrily.

"Have you seen how fast she is? Fang tried, but we lost her Light. She told us to keep you safe so we had to move you, we couldn't defend you forever if it came back. And your in no condition to fight"

She didn't know how to reply. She wasn't sure whether to yell at them or to thank them for helping her. Stumbling forward she realised that walking was harder than she thought.

"Whoa" Snow shot forward to grab her shoulders and was immediately brushed aside. "What are you doing Light? You need to rest up"

"I have to help" she complained, pushing him slightly sideways. "She could be hurt, anything could have happened"

"She will be fine Light, and Fangs looking for her as we speak" Hope reassured.

"Yeah, one person, we should all be looking" she growled. She was even angrier now, here they were doing nothing and Vanille had put herself in danger to keep them all safe. The least they could do was help her.

"You need to rest" Snow repeated.

"I'm fine!" she exclaimed. "Where's my weapon?"

Snow looked to Sazh and Hope for help, not liking Lightning's harsh glare.

"Where is it?" she demanded. "I'm helping, with or without it, so its your choice, either let me defend myself or I'm going defenceless." she knew that argument would win her this battle.

"Fine" Snow gave in, he knew how stubborn she could be. "Here"

Walking over to his jacket he picked the blade up from underneath and handed it carefully to Lightning, who slightly groaned under its weight, her abdominal muscles protesting. She hid it well though and quickly put it into its holster.

"Lets go" she said quietly, turning heel she briskly walked forward, ignoring the pain. It was something she had learned to deal with. She was worried, they had all seen that Vanille could hold her own, yet her protective side was telling her otherwise. She felt the need to find her desperately.

"Which way did she go?" she asked her companions. She was tired, even though she had been out of it for a good few hours, it wasn't the kind of rest that did a person much good. In fact it was more of a hindrance, it just made her ache even more. But right now she wasn't too bothered about herself.

"She ran south, but other than that, we don't know" he replied truthfully. "We were a little too concerned about getting you out of there"

"Well you should have helped her, not me" she muttered under her breath, she was appreciative of their help, and slightly embarrassed that she needed help at all. If she hadn't have dropped her weapon, took her eyes off the target…

Yet she couldn't help it, even she had to admit that she was feeling unnaturally protective of Vanille. When she had first met them, all of her allies, she was too cold in herself to have cared. If someone got hurt, it was a fact of life. But now…

Now she was protective, and it wasn't over everyone. It was over her, over Vanille. She furrowed her brow in frustration. She couldn't help but forget her training, forget her lifestyle of being a soldier when she was around the young girl. None of it mattered. All that mattered was keeping her safe…

"Er… Light?" Hope drew her out of her thoughts.

'Damn, I'm even daydreaming about her now' she thought, shaking her head.

"Are you alright?" he looked worried and she couldn't help but smile.

"I'm fine Hope, did you do this?" she said, pointing to her bandage. She flinched slightly when she saw the holes in her jacket, she hadn't noticed them before.

He nodded, blushing slightly.

"Thanks" she said, looking down at him.

"Yeah, you had us all scared you know"

"Don't worry about me kid, I'm tougher than I look" she winked, trying to be nice through all she was feeling. She certainly didn't feel tough at the minute, not on the inside anyway.

"It will be okay, I'm sure she's fine" he said, giving her an embarrassed smile, on the inside he was worried too.

"I hope your right" She replied, leaving him wondering.

They walked in silence for a while after that, the fact that her stomach kept throbbing was making her more irritated, and she was worried she would pointlessly start getting mad with her companions. She was really beginning to hate this planet. It was far from the security that cocoon offered. At least back on cocoon all they had to worry about was PSICOM. Now however, everything that could walk, talk or breathe was out to get them. It was tiring after a while.

"Hey Light, over here!" Snow yelled, she looked up, having been watching her feet for a while she hadn't noticed him straying further to the left.

"What is it?" she asked, noticing him picking something off a nearby branch. It was higher up than the path way, and seemingly it was a piece of material.

"Its bear fur" he said, reaching up and grabbing it. "It must be Vanille's"

"She must have ripped it" Lightning said, walking to him and taking the piece of fur from his hands. "She must have been climbing, in quite a hurry"

She tilted her head and looked up, the tree was tall. A lot taller than the surrounding ones, obviously Vanille knew something they didn't.

"So what, it cant climb?" Snow asked the same question Lightning was thinking.

"Yeah, Vanille said something about climbing one when it attacked their home…" Lightning was lost in thought.

"Well she's not there now" Snow said, stating the obvious. "Well as far as I can see through the darkness" he squinted upwards.

"Don't you think she would have heard us and come down?" Lightning replied sarcastically. Snow had a way of getting on her nerves.

"Oh yeah, probably" he said, putting his arms up in surrender.

"Come on, lets keep looking" she said, irritated.

"You okay, or do you want to take a breather?"

"No, not until we've found her" she replied quickly, noticing her voice was softer. Snow noticed it too.

"Erm…" he cleared his throat. "Is there something going on with you guys that we don't know about?"

Lightning stared him in the eyes for his bravery and didn't answer. She didn't have an answer.

'I'll let you know, when I know myself' She thought.

* * *

Vanille's night, it seemed, was going from bad to worse. She had hoped that finding the way back to the others was going to be a little easier than it was proving to be. She had been walking for a while, her legs were beginning to ache from her sprint earlier and the temperature around her had dropped considerably.

It was lonely in the dark, and her home planet was alien to her now. She was too used to being on cocoon, even at night, it held a sense of more security than Pulse could offer.

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself for warmth. Slightly regretting the fact she had made such a rash decision. Then her thoughts wandered back to Lightning and she found herself worrying even more.

"I hope your alright" she whispered to herself.

Her thoughts changed when a noise behind her made her spin round and draw her weapon, she quickly squinted into the darkness, not being able to make out any shapes of any kind she shivered and walked on forward.

The fear was beginning to creep under her skin. This place was too flat, she felt too vulnerable. She could only guess that such a long time spent with the pink- haired soldier had done it to her, she always used to be so carefree, yet her eyes had been opened to the dangers of Gran Pulse.

She was missing the familiar company of her companions, she considered trying to set up camp for the night. Yet didn't think it was a good idea, if she drew attention to herself she would be in trouble. She couldn't fight solo.

For now, forward was the only option.

* * *

"We need to set up camp Light, were all tired, and you really need to rest" Hope whined, he hated the dark. Walking around in it seemed pointless to him, it wasn't like they could see any traces of the way Vanille might have gone. They hadn't seen any sign of Fang either.

"Snow just got lucky with the fur, besides, without daylight on our side, we could be walking in entirely the wrong direction"

Lightning was beginning to think they were right, in the darkness they could do much to help. And she was getting increasingly more sore with each movement.

"Besides Light" Snow added, "If we light a fire, she might see it"

Lightning rolled her eyes, since when did Snow ever think logically? Gran Pulse was changing them all.

"Yeah, that's a good idea" she had to admit, it was.

"Damned, couldn't you have mentioned that earlier?" Sazh hissed to Snow. He ached from the constant walking, and from the battle they had just had.

"I'll get some wood, were in a forest how hard can that be" Lightning said, not resigning herself to doing nothing just yet.

"I'll go" Hope replied, "You rest up, cause if I know you, you'll be up again at dawn"

She nodded, he was right, she would be. As soon as the light began in the sky she would continue her search. She had to find her.

* * *

Something caught her eye from a distance, looking up at the dark sky she could see something strange against the stars. They were blacking out and then appearing again, almost as if clouds were floating in front of them. She shook her head. Maybe her eyes were deceiving her.

Walking a few more steps Vanille soon found herself stopping again, this time she was sure the faint smell of smoke met her. Her heart leapt, they had lit a fire.

Heading slightly to the left, she forced her aching legs to carry her faster in the direction of the smoke. It was faint, but she could still see the smoke flittering through the sky. She soon found herself jogging, they must have come looking for her, she had half expected someone too, but since the camp was in a different direction she presumed it must mean that Lightning was alright, she needed to see it for herself.

As she ran along, she kept her weapon firmly in her hand, she was making more noise than she would have liked to and half expected to run into something nasty. Yet as her feet pounded the ground, the only things she could hear were her footsteps and her heartbeat pumping in her chest.

Fighting her way through the trees she ignored the stinging sensation as several thorny trees scraped through her skin, she hated being alone, and the sooner she could find herself back in company the better.

Lightning twitched her feet impatiently, she was supposed to be resting yet lacked the ability to do so patiently.

Looking over her shoulder she was wondering how far Vanille had gone, it was taking her a long time, presuming she had seen the fire to start with. She was quite surprised too that Fang had not yet come back, yet Fang she wasn't too worried about. Her mind was just fixated on the younger girl, her protective side too strong. She was friends with all of them, they were all allies. Yet Vanille… Vanille was beginning to mean more.

Standing up slowly she looked down at the fire, noticing it was reduced to just embers she stretched the parts of her body she could move and addressed the remaining members of her party.

"I going to get some more wood, I cant just sit here"

Hope looked up at her in frustration, she never quit. And he had never seen her so worked up. So he just looked to Snow and Sazh, who were collapsed by the fire, basking in its warmth.

"Okay, if you're sure" he replied, to be truthful, he was slightly annoyed. He knew that Vanille was growing on Lightning, they could all see it, all but the two women. He was feeling slightly pushed out. Sure, he had a crush on Vanille, he always had. From the first moment she took the white robe off he couldn't look away. She had wound her way into everyone's hearts, but it seemed she was holding Lightning's tight.

Lightning could feel Hope's eyes boring into her back as she walked and wondered what was troubling the young boy. He had been unusually quiet since they arrived on Gran Pulse.

She took a mental note to ask him what was wrong later.

Walking away from the warm glow of the fire, her eyes soon readjusted to the darkness around her. She was used to the dark, and her eyesight was well above average. It was all part of her training, and due to the fact she had completed many a mission at night.

Looking up she tilted her head to the sky slightly, and her hand automatically shot to her weapon. This planet had her on edge constantly, apart from it seemed, when she was with Vanille.

Something was coming, and judging by the amount of noise it was making, it was moving quickly. Listening carefully her heart soon leapt when she realised it was footsteps, human footsteps.

Starting forward eagerly, she found herself forgetting that she hurt, her stomach forgotten briefly. She could tell by the usual lightness of the footsteps, even though they were running quickly that they were Vanille's.

Then her heart jumped slightly, in a bad way. Why was she running? Was something chasing her? She pushed forward more quickly, suddenly afraid. She couldn't hear anything, or see anything highlighted against the stars.

"Vanille?" she called out. The young girl was making so much noise it wouldn't matter if she yelled out. She heard the footsteps come to a sudden halt as her voice echoed round, then they started again, quicker than before.

She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the young redhead come sprinting trough the trees towards her.

* * *

Vanille skidded to a halt in front of Lightning. She knew it had been Lightning's voice calling her name but was surprised to see the woman standing in front of her, alone.

Panting she tried to speak but found her lungs didn't want to comply. Looking up into Lightning's eyes she managed a quick smile through her harsh breaths. Her breath hitched however, when it was Lightning who pulled her into a hug.

She stiffened up. Lightning? Hugging? That wasn't normal.

"You're alright" Lightning sighed into her ear, relieved that she was alive and well in front of her. The worry she had been feeling leaving her body. Vanille nodded, returning the hug, still struggling to oxygenate her body. She couldn't however with Lightning hung round her neck, so regrettably she pulled back, instantly missing the contact.

"Are you okay?" She asked the older woman, her eyes immediately shooting to her stomach.

"I'm fine, you did a good job" Lightning still couldn't believe she was in front of her.

"I wouldn't have to have healed you at all, not if I hadn't…"

"Hey" Lightning cut her off, "Don't think about that okay?"

"But…" Vanille needed to get it off her chest, she had been too worried about the older woman not to tell her.

"Light I'm sorry… It was my fault"

"No it wasn't" Lightning sighed, why did she always have to be so hard on herself? "It was my fault too, I dropped my guard, I paid for it afterwards. So listen to me, you did nothing wrong if I was in your shoes I would have done the same. I… I just couldn't let you get hurt"

Vanille's stomach did a back-flip at her words.

"So, they told you what happened?" She whispered, hanging her head. The feelings coming back at the thought of the beast. She could feel the tears coming back with them

Lightning nodded.

"Yeah" her voice was soft, something she always did when she was talking to the young girl.

"Not that it matters now, nothing I do can change what happened, and you paid the price" she said sadly.

"Vanille stop, you know this isn't your fault, the way I see it, you saved _my_ life"

'Whatever you want to believe' she thought.

Lightning dropped it, she held back the questions she had. They could wait until morning.

"Why aren't you resting?" Vanille scolded, her breaths still panting, so much that Lightning didn't hear the lighter tone to her voice.

"I…"

"Its alright, I never expected you to" Vanille smiled. "That's just not you"

'Damn she knows me too well' Lightning thought to herself. Her eyes fixated on the younger girl, noticing her breaths slowing down, and as the heat from running was leaving her body she could see her shoulders shaking slightly.

Reaching forward she rubbed her hands against the girls cold skin, creating a little friction. Vanille however shivered harder, feeling a small spark shoot through her skin at the unusual feeling of Lightning's touch.

"I'm glad your okay" Lightning whispered. "You had me worried…"

"So did you…" Vanille shot back quickly. For now she was just happy to have the company. Walking forward she buried herself into Lightning's arms again for another hug, being careful to avoid her injury. She smiled as the older l'Cie's arms wrapped around her in return. If she could have stayed there forever, she would quite happily have done. However she knew Lightning needed to rest, and she was going to make sure she did.

As Lightning loosened the hug Vanille stepped back to observe her again, she was a very different sight to the woman she had left, she never wanted to see her like that again. She had been so worried…

"Come on, lets get back to the fire?" Lightning suggested and Vanille nodded happily, they both needed rest, her limbs ached everywhere. For now she could drop the thoughts, she was safe. So was Lightning, that's all that mattered tonight.

Lightning smiled as they walked back together, her former feelings had dissipated, the night seemed brighter to her somehow and she knew she would sleep soundly, knowing Vanille would be doing the same.

Right by her side.

* * *

**A/N **

**Phew, it's a little longer but it was well worth it, I'm considerably happier with this chapter! **

**So as usual, any feedback is appreciated, and once again, thanks for reading! **


	19. Taejin's Tower

**Hello Guys. **

**Well, firstly I wanted to give my apologies, it has been nearly a month since I updated last and due to unfortunate circumstances I have only just been released from hospital. Thanks to a horse riding disaster I now have a broken shoulder and collarbone (typing one handed isn't easy!) Broken ribs, and have had surgery for a punctured lung… **

**So since I now have nothing better to do than lounge round in bed all day, I bring you the next instalment : )**

**Enjoy **

**Xx**

* * *

"Light…"

She opened her eyes slowly at the mention of her name. She quickly re-closed them as harsh light met her. Blinking in the sun, she tried again and this time focused on the figure that was hovering above her. It was a sight for sore eyes, looking up into the Redheads emerald ones.

"Hey, How are you feeling?" Vanille said, her voice back to its usual perkiness, ringing with musicality.

Smiling she rolled over onto her side carefully and wiggled her way to an upright position. All the walking the day before had made her stiffen up and she found her abdomen groaning in protest. She ignored it however and continued to move.

"Sore…" she replied truthfully. All her muscles had seized up. It seemed as she looked around the camp, that the sun was already high in the sky, and unknown to her Vanille had told the others that they were staying put until Lightning was fully rested.

She had only woken once that night, and it was when Vanille had moved away from her. It seemed to wake her up, she knew it was because Fang returned, and Vanille went to let her know she was safe. She had heard them talking for a while, she knew Fang had been worried. Just as much as she was. It was nice that her and Vanille retained such a good friendship. It helped the young girl through everything. She didn't know if it was because she was becoming softer, yet she found Fang a little more tolerable than she used to.

"What's the time?" she asked wiping her eyes, she was surprised at how tired she still was.

"Nearly Midday" Vanille whispered. The young l'Cie shuffled closer on her knees, sitting almost directly next to Lightning, their arms nearly touching. Lightning raised an eyebrow, feeling a tingling running through her arm, the same one that always came with their closeness. She should feel awkward, yet she found herself liking the company. She liked the familiarity that Vanille brought, and felt instantly better when the young girl was by her side. Vanille gave her a puzzled expression and Lightning realised that she had been silently staring.

Averting her eyes she looked over to the rest of their companions, they were all looking in her direction so she gave them a small reassuring smile and prepared herself to raise to her feet.

Seeing what she was going to do, Vanille leapt to her feet quickly and giggled as she offered her hands down to the soldier. Lightning hesitated for a minute, raising an eyebrow at Vanille's enthusiasm. However she took the young girls hands quickly and allowed herself to be gently hauled to her feet. She flinched as her muscled released, allowing her to stretch upwards.

"Thanks" she almost whispered, she didn't let the young girls hands go for a hesitant moment, then she reluctantly released her grip.

"Your welcome…" she smiled back. Then her tone turned a little more serious. "Are you sure your up for this?" She nodded in the direction of Taejin's Tower, they were close to the base, and it stood, in wrack and ruin in front of them. It had been a long journey so far, and she knew that everything they strived to achieve would reveal itself in Oerba. The answers had to be there. They had to be.

She nodded, of course she was ready. It wasn't a question of not being ready, it was something they had to do. And it wasn't herself she was worried about. It was Vanille.

"Are you?" She shot back quickly, seeing Vanille's face falter slightly, after all, once they were through the tower. They would be in Oerba, and she didn't know the effect that would have on the young l'Cie.

"I think so…." she fell slightly silent and looked up to where the Dahaka was swirling round, she didn't know if she was, but there was only one way to find out. Yet she had a slight sinking feeling, like something wasn't quite right…

"You ready to go?" Snow called, he was bored of waiting, they were all becoming restless. To be truthful, he was slightly scared of the Fal'Cie coming back, he wasn't sure quite what they would do if it did. Not with Lightning still injured.

Fang gave him a sharp smack across the arm and he flinched, pulling back.

"Oww… What was that for?" he complained, rubbing the top of his arm, Fang hit hard.

"For being so insensitive" she shot back. "Let them take their time." Fang looked back to Vanille and Lightning and smiled. After all, they both needed it.

"Lets go then" Lightning smiled, finding her companions actions amusing, she didn't need time to prepare for what lay ahead. It was Vanille and Fang that should be preparing. Oerba was their home, and the last thing she wanted was to see them both get hurt. What would the village be like?

"Only one way to find out" she whispered, just low enough for Vanille not to hear, She had a gut feeling that today was going to be challenging….

* * *

"Hey!" Hope called.

They had been walking for a few hours, the heat was slowly beginning to drop as the day got later. They were in mid afternoon and Lightning was beginning to feel the effects of the walking. She found that even though she had loosened off a lot, her wound was beginning to ache a little more than it did before. Of course, she didn't say anything, It was a pain she could deal with.

Stopping her feet she rolled her eyes as she saw Hope pointing to what looked to be a Cie'th stone. They didn't have time for this.

"We have to help it" Hope complained, he felt guilty walking past the wandering spirits and not helping them. Every one they helped, prepared them a little bit more for what lay ahead. Each mark became harder and harder.

"We don't have time.." Lightning argued, "We need to push on"

"I agree…" Vanille said, shocking the rest of them. Usually Vanille would go out her way to help anyone. Yet she knew her brand was progressing, faster each day, with each trauma. They didn't have much time left, and if they didn't get moving, they would all end up like the Cie'th. Hope had a good heart, they all did, but they had no future if they didn't get through the tower. Get to Oerba.

"I think we should help it" Snow said, tilting his head and crossing his arms. "I mean, we cant just leave it can we?"

Lightning sighed, they were right next to the base of the tower. She wanted to get through it before the end of the day. If they helped the stone they wouldn't have time and it would be another wasted day.

"I tell you what lets split up" She pitched. "You guys help the stone, and we will scout out the tower." She nodded to Vanille, who quickly agreed.

"I don't know…" Fang mused, the tower might be dangerous for just two people, what if the Dahaka came down? She didn't want Vanille out of her sight again, she had been too worried last time.

"It stays on the top floor doesn't it? At least, that's where its nest is…" Snow said quickly, this plan could work out, besides, he wanted to help the stone.

"Well be fine Fang, besides it gets two jobs done at once doesn't it?" Vanille said, giving her friends arm a reassuring squeeze.

"I guess…" she smiled down at the girl next to her. She just wanted to keep her safe.

"Great!" Vanille smiled, grabbing Lightning's arm she marched them quickly towards the tower.

"Be careful!" She heard Fang yell after them. "And stay away from the Dahaka!"

"We will, don't worry!" Vanille called back, she had no intention of messing with him, not with just the two of them anyway.

Lightning marched along with her, grinning at the young girls antics. Their spirits were higher now, and she could feel that the tension among the group was starting to disappear, it was something that didn't happen very often, or last very long.

"Whoa what's the hurry?" She said, slowing the pace slightly. Sure she wanted to push on, but that pace was painful.

"Oh, sorry" Vanille slowed down immediately, forgetting Lightning was still hurting. "You okay?" she looked up into the sky, Taejin's Tower used to be magnificent, the tallest building on Gran Pulse, and main gateway to Oerba, now it stood wrecked. She felt her heart jump. What did that mean for her beloved village?

"Yeah, I'm fine," Lightning lied. She could tell that Vanille was worried, the sooner they got to Oerba, the sooner her mind could be at rest. Whether it was good or bad, it was better to know. That's how she felt anyway.

Vanille clutched her fingers together, interlocking them, it was something she did when she was nervous.

"Hey Light…" she whispered slowly, she had slowed her pace immensely now.

"What's up?"

"I, I just…" Vanille took a deep breath. "I'm scared, I have a bad feeling about this. Do you really think that Oerba will still be there? I mean, look at this place" She nodded up at the tower, stopping quickly.

"Everything's gone"

"What's brought this on?" Lightning asked, her voice softening.

"I just don't know what to expect"

"Hey…" Lightning walked to her and quickly took her in a hug.

"I want to tell you everything will be alright…" she whispered in the redheads ear. "But I cant, I don't know the answers. we will just have to see for ourselves… So what do you say?" she nodded towards the front doors. Through them, the path lay ahead, clear as day, they just had to take the leap and walk through them.

Vanille nodded, pulling back she looked up at Lightning, meeting her baby blue eyes.

"Thank you…" she whispered.

"Anytime" Lightning whispered back, "Come on"

She reached out for Vanille's arm as they turned around, she was about to walk through the doors when she had a sudden feeling that something wasn't quite right. Turning round she raised her eyes to scan the skyline. She felt her heart beat faster as a familiar sight met her eyes. She found her feet frozen to the spot, not wanting to move. Vanille looked round as she saw Lightning rooted to the spot her eyes met the cause.

"Oh no…" she whispered under her breath. This was bad.

"We need to move" she yelled, spinning back around and grabbing Lightning's hand. Running for the door.

She could hear a familiar pounding of paws behind her. It was back, and it had seen them first.

"Quickly" Lightning said, taking the lead and pulling Vanille with her, moving her feet as fast as she could. They darted through the front door and the ground underneath them turned into stone. With their footsteps echoing round and heading back to meet them they ran forward. She didn't get chance to take in the glory of the entrance hall, with its high walls and long corridors. She was too focused on getting them out of here.

"What's it after?" Lightning panted, gripping her stomach with her free hand. She had missed the previous conversations.

"Me…" Vanille replied, "Its after me…"

"What? Why?, Why would a Fal'Cie be after you?"

"Because, they never forget their orders" she panted back, it was still behind them, and they were running faster. As the corridor opened up, she felt Lightning slow her pace slightly, looking up to the vast expanse that was Taejin's Tower.

"Come on!" Vanille dragged her back forward. "We need to get to the elevator" Sprinting across the room they dove for the elevator, closing the door Vanille quickly hit the lever, praying that they still worked. She breathed a sigh of relief as the crank creaked into life, slowly propelling the elevator upwards.

She bent over resting her hands on her thighs and breathing heavily.

"You alright?" she whispered over at Lightning, who was also trying to catch her breath.

Lightning nodded back, straightening up and looking around the strange elevator, it seemed to be playing a tune as they went upwards. It sounded almost like a wind chime.

"What do you mean they never forget their orders? Why would it be after you?" she asked curiously.

"Because me and Fang were chosen, they needed us to focus. To be angry. That way we would be better weapons in the fight against cocoon."

Lightning fell silent for a moment, taking the information in. It was true, she was angry because her parents died, but Vanille would have been feeling worse seeing it happen. Yet, she couldn't bring herself to imagine Vanille being a tool in the war against Cocoon, it just didn't seem real. So instead she changed the conversation completely. It was something she would ask when the situation seemed a little bit brighter.

"Are you sure these things are safe?" she asked, looking at the mechanism. The elevator was shaking slightly and it looked like the wires would snap at any moment.

"I'm not sure, I mean. They used to be" Vanille shrugged her shoulders. "But its been a long time since then" she stated the obvious and looked back upwards, all that mattered was running. She didn't stop to think where the elevator would take them. She knew it wasn't programmed to take them to the top floor, so they should be safe from the Dahaka. If they got upwards at all.

"We best hope…" Lightning ducked down as the elevator banged and jolted, Vanille screamed and grabbed her arm quickly, the impact nearly knocking them off their feet. Rocking the entire lift, and turning it slightly.

"Its not the elevator!" Vanille yelled "Look!" she pointed upwards and Lightning squinted to see claws sticking through the roof.

"Oh no…" she whispered. "We have to get out of here"

"The doors don't open until it stops…" Vanille said, her voice panicky. "It's a safety feature" She ducked down as the roof ripped upwards slightly.

"Doesn't seem so safe now…" Lightning said through clenched teeth.

The Fal'Cie was moving around on top of the lift, its weight making the whole structure shake, Lightning was slightly scared, they had no way out.

"Its going to bring us down!" she exclaimed, and as the lift fell a few feet she quickly wrapped her arms around Vanille.

"Brace yourself" she whispered as she could hear the main wire creaking, they were a few floors up, a long way to freefall.

Vanille screamed again as the main wire snapped, she gripped Lightning tighter, as much as she could. She heard the Fal'Cie growl as the lift hurtled towards the floor. They found themselves being thrown sideward's with a jolt as the elevator hit one of the floors and it spun round quickly, they were falling fast and she winced as the ground came closer, it seemed to take forever and Lightning's arms were still wrapped around her and they hit the floor quickly, she braced for a large impact but the elevator continued downwards. Straight through the crumbling floor of the Tower and into the darkness below…

* * *

**: ) **

**Whew, I know this one Is shorter, a lot shorter, but typing one handed is a burden and I'm mentally tired lol, so if there is any mistakes I do apologise. **

**I hope you liked it : )**


	20. Taking Chances

**Hey guys. **

**Firstly I wanted to thank you all for your kind words and reviews. Although its difficult to type I'm feeling a little better. Hopefully, fingers crossed there wont be any lasting effects and its not too painful when you are pumped up on morphine! So again, if there is any mistakes its most likely the medication talking. I'm hoping to be out and about competing and eventing again by September, so lots of rest should get me there I think! **

**Thanks once again, and because I left it on a cliff-hanger. I bring you the next part.**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx**

* * *

The air all around her felt slightly strange, thinner somehow than she was used to. It could have been the darkness giving it a claustrophobic feel, but then again. Something wasn't right.

Opening her eyes slowly she wasn't surprised that she couldn't see much, the area was only slightly lit, and most of it was just shrouded in dark. She could hear a faint dripping noise and she realised that the ground underneath her was damp. It was a little bit of a familiar feeling, like this had happened before. Only the time before, all that had registered was pain. Right now, she daren't test her limbs to see if it was the same.

Mah'habara hadn't been so dark, and the air hadn't been so thin. Something was really not right, then she realised. She shouldn't be alone.

Coughing slightly she called out, Lightning had been right there, clutching to her like they were falling from the sky, and technically they had done. Looking up, she could make out only a slight form in the darkness, it was part of the elevator, which appeared to have broken into two with the impact of the fall. The rest was debris from the floor of the tower. Which had also collapsed in, making the way out impossible.

"Lightning!" She called again, figuring it was probably the best time to try her legs and get herself to her feet. Stretching out she realised in horror that she couldn't go anywhere. Something was lying across her lap, it had felt weightless before, yet now with the shock she could feel that she was pinned down. Terror suddenly ran through her, she couldn't move, and a feeling of desperation soon followed.

Wiggling she tried her best to shake free, she could feel that her limbs seemed okay, at least nothing felt broken. Pushing with her hands, she attempted to push the dead weight off her, yet it seemed the item outweighed her by a long way and she could do nothing. This was bad.

"Light!" She called out once more, was she hurt? Or was she too pinned down and unable to move?

And then a sudden thought struck her.

The fal'Cie.

It had been right there with them when the elevator came down, so where was it now? Down here with them? She had to find Lightning yet how could she do that when she couldn't even help herself? All she knew was they could both be in more trouble than she thought.

* * *

"Argh, are you sure its this way?" Hope groaned, they seemed to be walking too far away from the tower. All for one mark.

"Well, that's the way the stone told us" Fang replied, her voice a little sharp. They should have listened to Lightning and Vanille. They really didn't have time to be off chasing ghosts.

"It cant be much further surely?" Sazh added, "If we don't find it soon, maybe we should just head back…"

"Why? Do you think there alright?" Fang said quickly, rounding on him.

"I'm sure they're fine, they only went to scope it out, what's the worst that could happen?" Snow said scratching his head in frustration.

"After this one, no more playing the hero okay?" Hope said, giving him a light punch on the arm.

"Ow, what is it with you all hitting me all of a sudden?" he replied in mock pain. Winking at the young boy as he did so.

"At least when we get this mark over and done with, its just a short hop to Oerba, right Fang?" Hope asked the older woman.

"Hmmm…."

"What does, hmmm mean?" he asked confused.

"We've got to get passed the Dahaka first…" she replied, lost in thought.

"Surely with all of us that wont be hard will it?"

"Maybe, maybe not… you saw the other fal'Cie, they're unpredictable when they want to be…" she said quickly, not forgetting that their foe could be kicking about anywhere.

"She's right, you shouldn't underestimate anything out here, we've all seen what they can do" Sazh said, trying to let a little bit of wisdom wash over his voice.

"Well, we'll be ready for it" Snow grinned punching his empty fist. Fang rolled her eyes.

"Attitude like that and this battle is going to be a lot harder than you think…"

* * *

"Vanille!"

Wait, what?

"Lightning!" Vanille called out to the darkness, relief washing over her, she was alive. "Over here" she could hear someone stumbling about in the dark, and so far it was the only noise that could be heard. She wriggled again, trying to move the weight pinning her to the cold floor.

"I'm stuck" she called out, allowing Lightning to follow the sound of her voice, which couldn't be easy through all the debris lying about. Finally she could just make out Lightning through the darkness.

"Here…" she repeated and Lightning was quickly by her side, she couldn't see in this light if she was alright.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked, looking her up and down quickly, Vanille smiled. The older woman was used to darkness, another perk of being a soldier.

"I think so, I just cant move" she pushed against the object again.

"Stay still, I think it's a piece of the lift, can you move your legs okay?"

"I can wiggle my feet, but the rest is stuck" she replied in frustration.

"Okay, let me help you, on the count of three you push and I'll try and lift it. You ready?" Vanille nodded quickly, and prepared to try and free herself.

"Okay, one two… three…" Lightning lifted with as much force as she could, making her abdomen twinge a little, but to her annoyance, the metal didn't even shift.

"Its no good, I'm stuck…" Vanille whispered, tears filling her eyes. Was it too much to ask that they have a simple day? This journey was a disaster.

"Hey, its alright, I'm going to get you free. I just need a little leverage." Lightning reassured, putting her hand on the young girls shoulder. "Let me look for something to use, I'll be back in a minute"

"Wait… be careful, that thing could be in here somewhere" she could swear she saw a faint smile on the soldiers face as she stood up.

"Don't worry, it's dead" she whispered. "I think the elevator must have fallen on it, its over here" she nodded to her left.

Vanille couldn't believe what she was hearing, it was finally dead. She didn't quite know how to feel, happy wasn't quite the word. More relieved.

"Are you sure?" she asked, almost feeling like it wasn't true, the thing that had maimed Lightning and given them the run round was killed by a mere fall? It didn't seem right.

"I'm sure, crushed I think. So don't worry, we're the only things down here now" she reassured, walking away slightly. She needed to find something to free Vanille, she didn't want to worry the younger girl but the cavern they had fallen into was airtight. When the lift had bought the floor down, the air circulation had been cut off. The had to find a way out. And quickly.

But from here that seemed impossible.

Her eyes fell upon the lever Vanille used to pull the elevator switch, it had broken loose and looking at it, might be strong enough to do the job.

"Here, this should help" she said walking back to Vanille and placing the metal pole underneath her legs, being careful not to trap them more.

"You ready to try again?" Lightning was a little worried, Vanille might not be able to feel if something was wrong when there was such pressure across her lap.

Vanille nodded and Lightning counted again. This time on three she hauled down on the lever as much as she possibly could and Vanille wiggled her way backwards, pulling her legs out from underneath it. Panting, Lightning quickly let the dead weight fall back to the floor.

"Are you alright?" she quickly rushed over to inspect the young l'Cie, making sure she wasn't hurt.

"A little achy, but I don't think I've broken anything" she replied with a smile, rubbing the top of her legs. There would be a nice bruise there tomorrow.

"So how do you expect we get out of here?" she asked the inevitable question.

"I'm not sure yet, I can't see a way, every wall seems to be closed off somehow, either caved in or just blocked off. And since we are underneath the tower I can see there being any access downwards" Lightning mused.

"Yeah and upwards is…" she looked up at the crumbling rock. "Out of the equation I guess…"

"Here…" Lightning reached down to help her get to her feet, slowly she pulled the redhead to her feet. She was a little shaky, but that was just lack of circulation. So she kept her hands fixed firmly around her waist.

"Are you alright?" Vanille asked back, looking down quickly to the soldiers stomach, fearful that the wound had re-opened.

"I'm fine, I think we were both lucky" she smiled. Vanille liked it when she smiled.

"We're not lucky yet, we've got to find a way out, and its not like the others know we are down here…" the situation seemed a little bit hopeless.

"Yeah and the air is a little thin, so we might want to hurry." Lightning slipped it to her as gently as she could, and when they both stopped to think about it, they did feel a little out of breath.

"There is a little bit of a light source coming from over here" Vanille reassured Lightning by moving slightly, inviting her to let go of her waist. As soon as she did she missed the contact.

"Its not very bright but, if there is light then surely there is a way out?"

"Yeah but if there is light, why isn't there air?" Lighting replied, lost in thought. So much for a simple scouting out the tower.

Walking their way over to where there was faint beam of light, there eyes adjusted to being able to see a little easier. There was still no welcoming breeze though and when the got a little further they could see the reason.

"That's just great" Lightning said rolling her eyes, this side of the cavern was flooded and a clear pool of water was gathered over the light source.

"That would explain it then, there is a way out, but we've got to swim to get it…" Vanille said gloomily.

"Yeah but the beam isn't too thick, it doesn't look like its big enough for s to swim through, I tell you what, wait here and I'll dive down and see if I can see a way out" she said, it seemed like it was the only option.

Vanille nodded, what other choice did they have? She looked on worriedly as Lightning jumped into the little pool of water and dove beneath its surface, back on the Archylte Steppe, Lightning had made a fuss about the water, but Vanille figured it was only because she was messing around, of course the soldier could swim, there wasn't much she couldn't do.

She knelt down beside the water, squinting into its icy blue depths. It was clear but a little cloudy, she could only make out Lightning's shape, she couldn't see her completely. She found herself willing the soldier back up, unsure of how long she could hold her breath, in fact she was holding hers too.

She let it out when Lightning's head broke the surface and she began to paddle back to where she could climb out.

"Well?" she asked nervously, holding her hand down and helping to pull a sopping wet Lightning out of the water. The pink haired soldier shook her head.

"There is a gap, but I can't quite fit through it." she said, her voice downcast.

Vanille felt her heart sink, they were both going to suffocate down here. Then a sudden thought hit her.

"What about me?" she asked. She was slightly more lithe than Lightning, she might be able to swim down, wiggle through and go get help.

"No, we don't know if there is even a way out down there" Lightning said quickly, horrified at Vanille's offer. She could be putting herself in direct danger. What if the gap wasn't big enough and she got stuck? She could drown easily.

"We cant stay here and I don't see another way, do you?" she said sharply, the soldier was always so stubborn. She knew it wasn't really stubbornness but more overprotective. It was nice in a way that Lightning felt like that.

"But we don't know how far you would have to swim, or if or where this tunnel even comes out" Lightning argued. "Its too risky"

"If I stay here, we both die" Vanille said quickly, to be truthful she was scared. Everything Lightning was saying could be true, but she had to try.

"And what when you get out? You don't know where the others are, what if you cant find them?" Lightning was desperate now, there had to be another way, she couldn't just sit there and do nothing. "We could just use magic, and make a door" she said, her voice angry.

"You know as well as I do that wont work" Vanille replied, "Look what happened in Mah'habara, the cave will come down"

"But…"

"But nothing, I have to do this Lightning, I don't know how, and I don't know what will happen even if I find the others but I have to try. I have to" she was desperate. "Let me help you for once, instead of the other way around"

"There is no way in from above, not that I can see" Lightning said, trying to put her off the best she could, she knew it wasn't going to work.

"We'll be better off with more people, we can move some rocks or something, anything's better than doing nothing. And besides, the more we stand and talk, the more air I'm taking up. At least with just you, survival time is doubled. No matter how much you argue, I'm doing this. And I'll feel much better with your support…"

Lightning opened her mouth to say something but quickly closed it again. No matter how she looked at the situation, there really was no other option.

"Do you trust me?" Vanille asked, walking a little closer.

Lightning didn't need to think about it, she knew she felt differently about Vanille, far differently than she did anyone else, she knew the answer to the question before it was even asked.

"Yes, of course I do…" she whispered. "With my life"

Vanille was taken slightly aback at how Lightning voiced the answer so quickly and so openly, she smiled and looked up at the pink haired soldier, her eyes locking with her baby blues.

"Be careful…" Lightning whispered, she wouldn't say goodbye, she couldn't…

"I will" Vanille's voice too was a half whisper, breaking eye contact she slowly turned away and walked towards the water. She stopped abruptly when a hand looped around hers and turned her back around sharply. Before she had time to react Lightning had pulled her forwards and into a tight hug. She was shocked at the fierceness in the older woman's actions but she gladly wrapped her arms around her waist and returned it.

This wasn't goodbye, it was voicing what she really wanted to without the need for words. Pulling back slightly Lightning looked back into her eyes, there faces close. Vanille could feel her breath on her skin and she shivered, a spark of electric flowing through her.

"I…"

Vanille didn't get a chance to speak, Lightning held a finger gently to her lips to silence her. Her eyes full of longing. Vanille froze slightly, she had never seen such a soft expression written across the soldiers face, she knew what was going to happen and she felt her heart jump in her chest as Lightning leant in closer. Suddenly everything felt like it was going to be alright, nothing else mattered. Nothing but the here and now.

Lightning leant down and in one bold move, completely captured her lips with her own…

* * *

**A.N**

**: ) I finally got round to the romance part ! Hahaha, I made you wait long enough I know, but still, now that its out there… **

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one, it has taken me nearly 4 hours to write and I have to say I'm a little tired so I'm going to try and grab some sleep, Thanks again for all of the well wishes and I shall post the next chapter up soon! **


	21. Fightning for Freedom

**Heya Guys!**

**Wow, what a reception on the last chapter! I'm glad you all liked it, and I'm happy I finally got round to the romance part : ) It was a nice little chapter to write!**

**I still cant type with both hands but I'm on the mend fairly well, and I thank you all for your kind words. : ), Its going to take some time before I'll be back up and running but that's horses for you I suppose, and I've already been back to see the one that did it to tell him I don't blame him : ).**

**Anyway, I'm talking too much, so I bring you the next chapter : )**

**Enjoy!**

**XX**

* * *

She couldn't speak, her throat was too dry, even if she could find the words she wouldn't know how to voice them. Keeping her eyes closed for a split second longer she enjoyed the feeling of adrenaline pumping through her veins.

She could hear her heartbeat, pounding noisily in her ribcage, emotions were swirling about in her head. It was a sensation she had never before experienced.

She couldn't explain exactly how it felt, it just felt… right.

Opening her eyes slowly she prayed it wasn't all a dream, scared that something so unexpected was too good to be true. Yet when she focused she could still see the pink haired soldier smiling down at her.

Never before had she seen Lightning in such a way.

Her hair was dripping wet, water running down her face highlighting her flawless complexion and her baby blue eyes. Her demeanour was beautiful, strong yet soft. In every way what you would expect yet with a sureness that gave the feeling of protection. She was a picture of perfection in every way.

"Vanille?" even her voice was appealing, feminine yet strong, ringing with compassion. She was a changed woman, and Vanille wasn't sure how to respond.

Lightning felt her heart skip, was silence good or bad? She suddenly felt foolish, what if it was the wrong thing to do? If the young girl didn't feel the same? For the first time she had worn her emotions on her sleeve, and for the first time she was scared of the answer.

"I'm sorry…" she said quickly, maybe it wasn't what Vanille wanted, maybe she had crossed the line, in one insane move, destroyed everything that she had worked so hard for with the young l'Cie.

Vanille's eyes opened wide at Lightning's apology. She still couldn't quite believe what had just happened. She knew the feelings were there, she just hadn't known how to voice them, or even if Lightning felt the same way. Now she could be confident in saying she did feel the same.

"Don't" she replied, her voice quiet, her vocal cords didn't seem to want to comply completely. "Don't apologise…" she looked back up and couldn't help but allow a smile to grace her features. She had forgotten for the moment what lay ahead, none of it mattered. The here and now was perfect, she didn't want anything to change.

"I…" Lightning started, she felt the need to explain, yet was cut short by a swift shake of the head from Vanille.

"No need…" Vanille looked towards the water with regret. No matter what happened, nothing could dull the moment, she had no plans to fail, she would save them both, no matter what it took.

"Just… come back in one piece… okay?" Lightning whispered, concern oozing from her.

"I will…"

Lightning believed her. Before she could react Vanille had thrown herself forward, back into her arms, clinging round her middle for dear life. She returned the hug, regardless of the pain running through her stomach, it was nothing compared to what she would be feeling when Vanille left. She needed the contact one last time. It had taken her a while to figure out what she wanted, now she could see that it had been in front of her the whole time.

She didn't get the chance to ponder however, Vanille pulled from her arms and with just a quick look back stepped towards the waters edge.

Vanille's feelings quickly changed to a darker note. This would take some courage, there was a lot at stake, and no room for errors. She grinned at her personal pep talk, imagining that Lightning felt like this on a day to day basis.

She looked down at the water, it was blurry yet clear. She could only see so far down, the rest was darkness, with just a hint of sunlight highlighting where she had to dive towards.

Looking back she gave one last reassuring smile and then leapt forward, jumping head first into the water and swimming downwards.

The world had suddenly become more claustrophobic, something she had never really liked. Reaching the gap she quickly wiggled through, it was just small enough to be uncomfortable yet not too much for her to get stuck.

Once she was through, the cavern opened up slightly and she could fit comfortably. She could still feel the walls on each side but she could swim forwards with a little more ease. The water was a little bit brighter and she hoped there would be only a short distance before she could break the surface again.

Quickly pulling herself along in the submersed cavern she could feel rough edges of rock meeting the palm of her hands. She frantically kicked her feet as she made her way along. Unsure of the exact amount of time she could hold her breath. She was a strong swimmer, she had grown up around water, and therefore learnt how to swim effectively. But never with so much pressure on her shoulders.

She felt a twinge of panic run through her, the tunnel was longer than she thought, although the daylight did seem to be getting a little bit brighter. As she pulled herself through a smaller gap her heart leapt, only a tiny bit of light was shining through the rocks, a gap she wasn't sure if she could get through without getting stuck.

Her lungs were beginning to burn with the want for air, and as she forced her shoulders through the sharp gap, panic began to really take hold.

She wiggled the best she could, working her way through. She didn't have time to think about how long it had been so far, yet as she struggled she could imagine Lightning, waiting helplessly.

She focused, determined. Pushing harder she slid through, ignoring the scraping across her legs as the rock ground against them.

She felt the world lift slightly as the enclosed feeling disappeared, the horrible claustrophobic cavern being left behind as she focused on making a beeline for the surface. As she headed upwards she could see a shining blue sky, smiling down upon her.

She was desperately kicking, the water gliding past her with ease, her lungs on fire and her head spinning through lack of oxygen. The surface seemed further away than it was and in one last attempt she managed to kick her way upwards and take in a great gasp of air as her head broke the surface.

Breathing heavily she quickly swam to the edge of the water, she didn't have time to take in her surroundings, and there was certainly no time to catch her breath. She needed to find the others and quickly. She just hoped they hadn't gone too far…

* * *

Lightning had looked on as Vanille dove down into the little pool of water. A perfect moment ruined by reality. This was real, everything that felt like it didn't matter now dawned upon her like a tonne of bricks. It was a hopeless situation, and all she could do was sit, helplessly and wait for rescue. If rescue ever came.

She had held her breath too, as Vanille disappeared out of sight, she had no idea where the young girl would end up if she made it through the tunnel. She hoped it lead to the outside of the tower, and not into another cavern with no way out. She was sure that by the daylight streaming through, if it was indeed daylight, that outside was the answer.

She began pacing, up and down, up and down. Her feet carrying her as her mind wandered to bigger things. She knew that by walking she was taking up more oxygen, yet she couldn't sit still. It was bad enough just knowing Vanille might not have made it.

She had counted the minutes, hoping against all odds that the young girl had managed to swim her way to freedom. If the cavern had been too long, or there had been no way out at the end…

She shook her head, now wasn't the time to think negatively. Now was the time to stay positive. Otherwise she was in serious trouble.

* * *

"I cant believe…. that thing… was so hard to kill" Snow was doubled over, his hands touching his knees as he panted for air.

"Told you they were fast" Fang smirked, she was slightly out of breath, but being more nimble on her feet she found the fight easier than Snow.

Hope looked down at the little cactus that lay near their feet, he felt a slight bit of regret, they were fascinating to look at. It was almost a shame that it had to die.

"Hey kid, don't feel bad. It had a nasty kick" Sazh said walking to him and patting him on the shoulder.

"Yeah I guess your right, it was the mark after all" Hope was fine physically, he was the lightest of all of them, he could have run around forever.

"It would have been easier with Vanille" Fang huffed, still slightly concerned about her and Lightning going off alone.

"Yeah and Light…" Snow added, "Even injured, that woman can look after herself." he straightened back up and looked back in the direction of the tower. They could still see it, it was a little more distant now, yet it shouldn't take too long to get back. Then they would be on the road to Oerba, and reality would be staring them in the face. If there were the answers they were looking for at all.

"Lets get going… I don't like to take any chances. It shouldn't take too long to get back if we get a move on." Fang said, eager to get back to Vanille. The light would soon be fading and she wanted to be reunited before darkness fell. She trusted Lightning, perhaps more than most of the group. Yet when it came to Vanille, she had to be sure.

* * *

Lighting cursed as she picked herself up from the floor of the cavern. Brushing the dust from her clothes she looked up at the ceiling with immense hatred. She had tried scaling the walls to see if she could find anywhere that might hold a way out.

She was sure that the rocks would be several layers thick and that moving them by hand was out of the question. She had thought about simply using a magic attack and seeing what happened. She quickly decided against it, Vanille would probably come back to find nothing left of her if she brought the roof down.

Walking round her eyes were useless in the darkness but she stumbled across what remained of the elevator, it was crushed, cracked in two. She pondered exactly how they survived. The fal'Cie must have broken the fall, yet they had hit the ground with such an impact that they had broken metal in two.

All she knew was a stroke of luck had been on their side. She just hoped that it would continue to be with them. They had come too far to let this be the end.

"I know you can do it…" she whispered, she felt sure that Vanille was alright, she was tough. Yet it didn't diminish the feeling of fear that was beginning to creep under her skin. The darkness didn't help, she realised that the luxury of being able to see would have made things a lot easier. Instead she was relying on her other senses.

She found herself imagining what Serah would be like in a situation like this. She knew she would have relied heavily on herself for guidance. Serah hated the dark, when they were younger, whenever there had been a power outage she would creep into Lightning's room and curl up with her until morning.

Lightning smiled to herself, things were so much simpler back then. She knew she would have given anything to turn the clocks back and stop things from getting so out of control.

Yet she couldn't, and here she was. The journey had lead her to this. She was happy in a way, if everything hadn't happened, if Serah had never become a l'Cie. She wouldn't have found Vanille…

* * *

Vanille could feel desperation driving her forwards. Her head was still pounding, she had no time to let the dizzy feeling stop, as soon as she pulled herself clear of the water she sprinted towards the Cie'th stone. It was the only plan she could think of, heading in the general direction of the others and praying that their paths crossed. It was a long shot, but it might just work.

Skidding to a halt in front of the stone she realised that it seemed brighter. They must have found the mark they were looking for.

'Good, they might be on the way back' She thought. It would make things a little easier. She still had no idea what to do when she found them but she hoped that Fang might have a few ideas.

The stone was telling her that the mark was in the Tower area, a little bit further north. She smiled, and felt her heart lighten a little. Things didn't seem so hopeless.

And this time, maybe lady luck was on her side.

* * *

"It seemed less far on the way out…" Hope's voice was a low tone, it felt like they had been walking for ages, the return trip seemed to be taking forever.

"Don't worry Hope, were nearly back…" Fang voiced, her tone annoyed. He was always complaining.

"Yeah, good thing too, its starting to get dark." Sazh added, looking up at the clouds, they were beginning to creep over, the sun fading and making them appear greyer in colour.

"Weathers coming in too I think"

"Yeah, least we will be dry in the tower… I hate the rain" Snow said, patting down his hat. His coat became all heavy and annoying when it got wet. Fang rolled her eyes, they really were some of the strangest people she had ever et.

"You wouldn't last five minutes on Pulse alone, any of you" she said sarcastically. "Cocoon's made you all soft"

"Yeah, and your getting that way too" Snow said cheekily, earning him a quick scowl from Fang. He heard Hope giggle behind him, then something else followed…

"What was that?" he stopped walking quickly, and shushed the group. Fang had heard something too and raised a finger to her lips.

"I think its just the wind getting up…" Sazh whispered, but Fang shook her head.

"No it wasn't, it sounded like someone shouting…"

"_Fang…" _

"Its Vanille!" Fang said quickly, her heart jumping.

"Something's not right…" Even though Vanille's voice was quiet she could hear the panic running through it.

"Vanille!" she yelled back, trying to listen to what direction the voice was coming from. She could hear footsteps now, travelling quickly. Something bad had happened, she could sense it.

Vanille came bounding across the rocks desperately and ran forwards, straight into Fang.

Fang grabbed hold of her quickly, looping her arm around her middle, she could feel her heavy breathing and she tried to let the young girl catch her breath. Her body was shaking from the exuberance.

"What's the matter what's happened?" she asked concerned, she looked around. There was no sign of Lightning.

"Where's Light?"

"Tower… elevator…crashed…" she panted in between breaths. Her knees slightly wobbling now that she was stood still.

"Whoa, slow down, what happened?" she soothed, wrapping her hands round the young girls shaking shoulders. When Vanille got her breath back enough she explained.

"The fal'Cie, it jumped on the elevator in the tower, me and Light, it took us both down. Through the floor, there's some kind of Cavern, there's no time to explain, she's got no air. Lightning's stuck… we've got to hurry…"

"Okay okay" Fang only heard half of the story, Vanille was talking too quick. Yet she could tell by the tone in her voice that the situation was serious.

"C'mon, we need to move…" Vanille tried pulling her, she had to get back.

"Hold on a second, catch your breath" Fang soothed, she still had hold of Vanille's shoulders.

"There's no time" Vanille said desperately, she looked up at Fang with pleading eyes. There was no time to be concerned about herself. They had to worry about Lightning.

Fang sighed and slowly released her, giving in, she was concerned about Vanille but it would have to wait.

Time was running short.

* * *

**A.N**

**Well, I do like my cliff-hangers at the minute : )**

**It was a little more action packed than I planned, but ill try and calm it down soon, Oerba is just around the corner, but now they are still in a little bit of a pickle aren't they?**

**Hmm… You'll just have to wait to find out what happens.**

**Thanks for reading.**


	22. Some Things You Just Do

**Heya guys, now firstly I want to apologise for the long time in between updates. I had another little stroke of bad luck and have had a few complications with my operation, the internal stitches hadn't done their job and I had to have them redone. After which I had a bit of a nasty infection and again spent nearly a week in hospital..**

**Secondly, my laptop has blown up and I'm currently working on a tablet computer with a tiny keyboard... so if there is any mistakes that I haven't seen, I'm really sorry.**

**Once again, thank you all for your kind reviews and words, all of them mean alot and help me to get the next chapter out... the good news is I can now, very gingerly use both hands to type. As long as I don't move too much...**

**On with the story,**

**Enjoy**

**XX**

* * *

She couldn't quite figure out if the feeling was in her head, all she knew was the burning sensation was growing.

Her lungs were on fire, at least thats what it felt like. The feeling didn't come alone either, it was accompanied by an annoying pounding in her head. It sounded like a drummer, keeping a low tone of bass going. It was making concentrating much harder.

She couldnt remember ever feeling so bad, but then again, she had never been so oxygen starved. The dark was beginning to mess with her mind, her over active eyes picking up tiny details through the pitch black atmosphere. She found herself looking over her shoulder nervously to where the fal'Cie lay. She had inspected it herself and knew it was dead. She had reached out and touched its ice cold fur just to make sure.

Now she found its prescence haunting. It almost didn't seem real. How something of such immense power could be killed so easily. Then again, that fall should have killed them all. Yet a stroke of luck had been on their side.

She smirked slightly at her thoughts, now she sounded like Fang.

She had never been one to simply believe in luck. Back on Cocoon she would have said that luck was just a combination of skill and good judgement. Now she wasnt so sure, something seemed to keep driving them on their reckless mission. Something wanted all of the new found l'Cie to suceed. Yet something was pushing them also, testing their limits, their bond as people and as friends.

She found herself itching to move, the time was passing so slowly and she was allowing her mind to wander further astray. Yet she knew she couldn't. The less she moved, the less oxygen she would use. She had to do everything in her power to give Vanille enough time.

Looking up at the cavern roof she sighed, closing her eyes for a minute she allowed herself to imagine she was free of this dark place, free of all the burdens they were carrying. Free to live how they should have done, no focus, no innevitable ending.

She kept them closed for a while longer, knowing that when she opened them she would be right back where she started.

Trapped with no way out.

"I know you can do it" she whispered. A faint image of Vanille flashing through her head. Lightning had never trusted anyone like this before, only Serah. Her life was well and truly in the hands of the young l'Cie. And as she thought about it more and more she began to realise.

She wasn't afraid. She believed completely...

* * *

"Hey, would you slow down a little? Your killing me here..." Fang rested her hands on her hips as she spoke, her chest rising and falling quickly as she panted for breath.

"Come on, were nearly back, there's no time for breathers" Vanille replied quickly. To be honest, she had never felt so bad. Her limbs ached, her breath felt as if it couldn't possibly go any faster and a red mist of exhaustion was beginning to creep in front of her eyes. Yet she didn't have even a small amount of time to think about it. They were nearly back at the tower. And that was what mattered.

"So, what when we get there huh?" Fang asked, someone had to ask the innevitable question. They had all been musing about what to do yet had come up blank everytime.

"Unless you have some kind of miracle plan, we ain't getting her out of there any time soon..." her voice was lower, indicating her annoyance. To be truthful, she too was worried, they all were. She just liked to keep a level head where possible.

"I haven't thought that far ahead yet" Vanille sighed in response. No matter how she looked at the situation, it looked hopeless in every direction.

"I mean, if we use the eidolons to blast the way in, the ceiling will come down, yet if we try and use magic from inside the same thing is going to happen" she could feel tears beggining to sting her eyes as realisation was slowly creeping in. She wasn't about to give up, she just couldn't see a logical solution to the problem.

"Well, can't we use an eidolon to keep the roof up while we blast our way in?" Hope asked quickly, "I mean Alexander could do it. It wouldn't hurt him."

Vanille turned to look at him with a new found glint in her eyes, she hadn't thought of using an eidolon for protection. It seemed like a good idea.

"How do we get him in there though?" Fang asked, the idea was good but she wasn't sure how it would work. "Dosen't he only respond to Hope?"

"I guess so..." Hope hung his head down, shuffling his feet, Snow gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.

"We don't just give up at that, if i can get out, we can get back in." Vanille said, her voice a little happier. "You are about the same build as me so you should fit through..."

"What do you mean?" Hope asked, puzzled and a little bit scared.

"There's a tunnel underneith the tower, it's filled with water but it was just wide enough for me to get out, as you know Light couldn't get through it. But you can. You can swim right?"

"Well, yeah... I guess..."

"It's settled then, we are swimming back in, then Fang can knock the ceiling through with Behamut." Vanille lightly tugged Hopes arm as she set of towards the tower. A smile across her face.

"Come on, we are wasting time..."

Fang rolled her eyes, surely this wouldn't go as smoothly as they all hoped. Yet there was only one way to find out...

* * *

There wasn't much left that she could do.

Lightning shook her head angrily, annoyance at herself was apparant in her actions. It had been close that time, she had nearly closed her eyes.

A sinking feeling was upon her, not aided by the heaviness in her chest. Closing her eyes would mean the end, a sleep would be upon her that she would never wake up from.

So much had tested her so far, she never imagined that when she crossed the paths of the l'Cie she was travelling with that the journey might not end well. She thought back to what they had already been through, intertwined fates that crossed because of one person. Serah. The person they were all seeking, and all fighting for.

Lightning smiled to herself, seeing Serah's face flash across her vision. This wasn't the end, not yet, there were too many obstacles standing in the way. So many tasks that needed to be overcome. The end was close, but it was not yet here. Then her image changed, back to a more recent one, the one person that she was travelling with that had really had an effect on her. There was so much left to say, so much more to do.

She would get the chance, she was sure. But for now, she allowed a happy feeling to wash over her. She had overcome one thing that she thought she would never find the courage to do.

It was with this thought that she allowed her eyes to close, and her world slowly descended into blackness...

* * *

"Erm... Are you sure?" Hope's tone of voice had changed completely, it was now ringing with insecurities.

"Look, it's not too far, if I could get out, then we can get back in, just follow me and you will be fine..." Vanille didn't sound too sure either, it was a long shot. She had been lucky before, she just hoped that Hope could keep close on her heels.

"Vanille, are you sure you can do this?" Fang had stepped closer to her, ultimate concern in her eyes. "I mean, what if something goes wrong?"

"Nothing will go wrong, we all know it's something I need to do... We need to do" she nodded at Hope, who now looked slightly pale.

Vanille stepped forward quickly and threw herself round Fang's middle, pulling her into a tight hug, she felt Fang return it and squeeze equally as hard. Fang was protective, yet she had grown to realise that Vanille could hold her own, and this was something she needed to do.

Pulling back Vanille looked back up and gave her one last reassuring nod, meeting her gaze and seeing shining tears threataning behind Fang's eyes.

"I'll be fine, I promise..." she whispered, turning away and giving Snow and Sazh a brief look, who in turn nodded. She knew they all wished they could help a little more.

"When you hear Alexander, you know what to do" Hope whispered, finding his voice. Fang nodded. A perfectly timed hunting dive would break the floor through, and hopefully they would be safe under Alexander's protection.

"Are you ready?" Vanille asked Hope, walking forward and taking his hand.

"Some things you just do right?" He nodded, Lightning had saved him once, now it was time to return the favour.

"Stay close"

Vanille took a deep breath, and diving forward jumped in headfirst, trying to make the swim a little easier. She saw Hope do the same and could feel him pressed against her side as they both swum downwards.

This was the worst part, she knew how far down they needed to descend, and the same compressed feeling of water was washing over her body. She just prayed that she could find the gap in the rocks.

As they swum down, she noted how the world got darker, as the rocks began to overpower the sunlight. She could see a darker glimpse of the gap between the rocks. Her eyes were blury and full of water but she headed towards it confidently, and pushing her upper body through she found the way back through suprisingly easier. She waited for a breif second, turning around to see Hope glide easily through. If she had been in a less serious situation she would have giggled at the fact he must have been a little smaller in build than her. For now however, there was no time for messing around.

The rest of the swim was a blur to her. Her mind was focused on one thing and that was Lightning. She just hoped that they weren't too late.

Before she knew it she was giving a few desperate kicks towards the surface, her head pounding again, and a slight dizzy feeling upon her. As her head broke the surface she tried to gasp in air, forgetting how scarce it was. She wasn't prepared however, for just how bad it was.

There was no relief from holding her breath for so long, no welcome feeling of oxygen. Only enough to allow her to keep swimming towards the edge of the water, Hope too, following slowly. The same sicky feeling across his own features.

"We have to hurry, there isn't any time" she managed to whisper, trying to breathe faster just to get something through.

Pulling herself out of the little pool she rolled over and with a small effort pulled herself to her feet. Wishing that the cavern would stop spinning. Turning round she managed to get her aching muscles to help pull Hope out of the water. She felt bad for him, he looked just as bad as she felt.

"Light?" she called, as much as her tired vocals would allow. Expecting to hear an immediate response. Her heart jumped however when all that met her ears was silence.

"Lightning?" Hope called next to her, she could hear that his voice too was shaky.

Stumbling forward she tried to get used to the darkness, her eyes not yet adjusting from the harsh sunlight outside. She quickly found herself on the floor as she tripped over some debris from the elevator.

"Vanille!" Hope rushed forwards, his legs wobbly and helped pull her to her feet.

"You okay?" He asked, concerned.

"We have to find her" she said quickly, shrugging him off and setting off forward again. She had to find Light, nothing had ever felt so important to her before. All the things they had been through, it couldn't end like this...

"Light!" She exclaimed, her heart skipping. Through the darkness she could see a familiar shape on the floor...

"Oh no..." she whispered, "Hope, over here!" Hope had strayed a little further away, looking for Lightning too, he soon came rushing back at the tone in Vanille's voice.

Vanille was quick to run to Lightning, placing her feet carefully in amongst the rubble.

"Light?" She knelt down beside the older woman, carefully taking her shoulders and giving her a gentle shake.

"Wake up..." she quickly thought to check for a pulse, she breathed a sigh of relief when she found one. It was a little weaker than it should have been but it was there at least. Due to the darkness she couldn't see the deathly shade of white pasted across her skin, or the light blue tinge appering accross the older l'Cie's lips. She was just happy she was alive.

The rest was up to them.

"Hope quickly, do it now!" she said sternly, looking up at the young boy.

He nodded, reaching down into his pocket he pulled out Alexander's crystal, praying that this worked.

"Alexander!" he yelled, casting the crystal upwards and sheilding his eyes from the bright glow that appeared.

Vanille glimpsed for a second, while the light was shining at the weak looking exterior that Lightning had, they had almost been too late.

Alexander stood tall over them, casting even more of a shadow, if it was at all possible.

"Quick, we need you to thump the rocks, just loud enough for the others to hear, then we need you to protect us and Lightning." Hope gave his instructions and Alexander reached up, he clumsily hit one part of the cavern, causing the whole structure to shake. Vanille covered Lightning's body with hers as little bits of rock came cascading down.

None of them hit, Alexander stood his body over the three l'Cie, ready to sheild them from the falling roof.

Vanille could hear the faint soulds of Behamut being called and quickly placed her arms over her head. Even though Alexander was there, it was a reflex. Hope quickly joined her too, just as he knelt down there was an impact on the roof, and rocks cascaded everywhere, light suddenly shone in and Alexander covered the small group with his body, bouncing them off his body like footballs.

The first thing that Vanille felt and welcomed was the easy feeling of air now flowing through her lungs. Her and Hope gasped for breath as it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off their shoulders. She looked down at Lightning, checking once again that she was breathing, and giving a sigh of relief when she found she was indeed.

"We did it" she said happily, smiling at Hope. He had shown great courage, Lightning would be proud.

"Yeah i guess we did..." He said, bewildered that they had come through okay.

"Vanille... You alright?" Fang yelled down into the darkness, now at least the only thing they had to worry about was climbing out.

"Yeah, we're okay." she yelled in response, squinting up at the bright tower with fresh eyes.

The fal'Cie was dead, she didn't need to worry about it any more, the way forward was clear, at least untill they reached the top of the tower. But that could wait, right now she was just happy that they were all alright.

"Vanille?"

She looked down quickly, her bright green eyes connecting with Lightning's baby blues. She flashed a smile of relief at the older woman, the fresh air doing its own healing. For now the spells lay forgotten.

"Hey, your awake..." she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. Happy ones.

"You did it?" Lightning said, her voice in awe. She just lay there for a minute, she never doubted Vanille would save them both, she just never imagined how the young girl would do it.

Vanille nodded, bending down she wrapped her arms around the older woman carefully and Lightning returned the hug. She heard Hope cough a little to her left but she ignored it. She didn't care, she was just happy to have her back.

Lightning gently wiggled her way free from the hug and slowly pushed herself vertical. The world was still a little fuzzy but she felt stronger already.

"You had me worried for a second." Vanille whispered, forgetting everything else. She was just focused on the woman in front of her. They had so much to talk about, but for now at least they could just enjoy each others company.

"I never doubted you for a second." Lightning replied, the same look in her eyes.

Smiling they both looked up at the ceiling, seeing everyone else peering down expectantly.

"Alexander, a little help here?" Hope said, Vanille jumped slightly and turned to look round at him. She had completely forgotten he was there at all.

"Thanks Hope." Lightning whispered. "I didn't think you had it in you. But thanks for having my back."

"It's not a question of can or can't..." he whispered proudly.

"Some things you just do..." she finished for him, giving him a smile as Alexander bent down to pick the three of them up.

"Can you stand?" Vanille asked, reaching down to help pull Lightning to her feet. Light nodded and took her hand.

"Yeah i feel much better." she said honestly, amazed at how quickly her body was reacting to freedom.

Stepping forward they quickly took up the Eidolon's offer and climbed onto his outstretched hand. He lifted them up and right out of the cavern roof. Once he got them there he gently allowed them to step off his hand and with one final nod he diddapeared back into crystal.

"Thanks Alexander" Hope whispered, so that the others couldn't hear.

Fang quickly stepped forward and pulled Vanille into a hug, reief at her saftey showing.

"I'm fine Fang, we all are." she whispered, now that she was pressed against someone warm she realised how cold she was and her body gave an invoulantary shiver. Her wet clothes picking up a slight breeze.

"I think we should wait before climbing the tower." Sazh said as they all stepped forward to greet Lightning. It had been a stressful day and they were all happy to see her.

"Yeah, you two need to try off" Lightning said to Hope and Vanille, noting how they were both shivering madly. She too felt the biting cold that brought evening with it. The tower could wait untill they were ready. Right now they were lucky to be alive.

"Yeah and you need rest" Fang said wisely, "It's been an exciting day"

"You can say that again" Lightning joked and looked upwards throught the wreckage. Wonder still crossing her mind at how they survived the fall at all.

As if she knew what she was thinking Vanille took her hand in her own bravely. Lightning was startled for a second at the gesture but she closed her hand tighter to give Vanille's a gentle squeeze, their eyes locking together. Vanille was smiling as she too looked quickly up at the tower above them.

"Yeah, and next time, we are not taking the lift..." she joked.

Lightning nodded quickly, giving a slight smirk.

"Amen to that..."

* * *

**A.N **

**Well, I'm finally done with this one, i apologise if there is any mistakes in this chapter, and again that it has been such a long time since i updated, but it was out of my control. **

**Anyway, i hope you liked it and thanks again for reading!**


	23. Finding Home

**Heya Guys!**

**I'm back with the next chapter! I felt bad about leaving it so long, plus I'm feeling immensely better (the painkillers are probably helping) although I do get to have my stitches taken out next week : )**

**Anyway, on with the story, once again thanks to the reviewers : ) and thanks Undead Artist... that made my day, and yeah I know im bad at summaries : )**

**Enjoy!**

**Xx**

* * *

The once busy world now brought with it an eerie layer of silence. Nothing could be heard for miles, it was an unnatural silence that had descended. Something big had seemed to take place, and Gran Pulse was listening. Listening intently to what the l'Cie were screaming at it.

Defiance.

That's what their actions were displaying, and for a second the silence seemed to linger. Giving the small group a slight feeling of power. It was soon interrupted however, by an almighty crash. Dust flew up into their eyes and they had to look away briefly, until the debris from the tower had settled and the Dahaka lay in front of them.

Defeated.

"We did it…" Hope was the first to speak, the first to break the silence. They had defeated it in battle, and it lay in front of them. Unmoving.

Vanille breathed a sigh of relief, looking over to Fang she could see the older woman leaning heavily on her lance. Yet she couldn't mistake the glint of hapiness in her eyes. They had done it. The pathway home was clear.

"Yeah well… it didn't exactly go down easy" Snow huffed. That statement was true enough. The l'Cie had to rest up a couple of days prior, the adventure down in the depths of the tower was enough excitement for them all for a while.

Then there was the difficult task of navigating the tower. Fang had dragged her reluctant companions throught the elevators in the end, since the tower guardians liked playing games and kept blocking the path untill they helped them. Fang had complained that 'the rest of the lifts seemed fine'. Lightning was a little opposed to the idea at first but then drew the conclusion that her and Vanille had just been unlucky.

"Oerba's right over there" Sazh nodded, walking towards the far end of the tower. "Maybe we are about to find all the answers" his voice sounded half hopeful and half scared. He flashed a nervous look at Vanille, and then to Fang. Almost as if to ask them if they were ready. Hs face however turned glum as he peered over at what should have been Oerba.

Vanille's heart skipped at the expression on his face, trying to menatally prepare herself for what lay ahead.

No matter of preperation could spare them the heartache of what lay in front of them.

Vanille had felt her breath hitch from the moment she stepped forward. From the moment her bright green eyes layed across their home, the peaceful place where her and Fang had been all their lives, the place where they had grown, laughed and lived. Now there was just sand, sand and rubble.

Her hands automatically flew to her mouth in shock, she couldn't help it. It was a reflex she had picked up long ago. If she could have torn her eyes away from the sight she would have seen Fang do the same, yet she couldn't look away. She didn't want to see, yet she couldn't help it.

The buildings were all gone, bricks lay here and there along the barren sand. The houses they used to hold up long gone, so were the people who used to live in them.

She could feel her heart aching, even with just the first glimpse. She wanted to see people, scattered about, going about their usual buisiness. It's what she remembered, what she expected. She hadn't geared herself up for the harsh truth. Monsters were roaming about aimlessly, their dulset tones echoing back and around the tower. She hadn't noticed them before now, all of their minds had been too engrossed in the battle.

A slight silver teardrop allowed itself to leak from her eye, before she had time to stop it it continued downwards, running across her cheek and finally cascading to the floor. She heard Sazh's voice in the background and everything hit home.

"From here, it dosent look too pretty" he whispered, unable to tear his own eyes away.

Lightning wasn't looking at the village. She had seen places in wrack and ruin before, yet she felt the same kind of ache that was going through everyone else's chest. They had been so close. She was sure of it, so close to figuring out this focus. To getting Serah back. The answer was supposed to be here. She had heard Vanille say it, she had told Hope a thousand times that everything would be alright.

Lightning didn't even know why she had got her hopes up, everytime she did, something seemed to get in the way, and this time it was the pathway to freeing her sister.

She looked back for a minute, her eyes fixing to a point over her shoulder, she could see nearly the whole of Gran Pulse from this vantage point, yet instead of seeing with fresh eyes all she saw was a planet that had hindered them every step of the way. It had resisted every effort that they had put in, yet up until this point, they had a bright light shining. Oerba had been calling. She knew now that it was all in their head.

She curled her hand into a fist angrily, once again, their focus was getting the better of them. It was taunting them. Sometime soon, it would take over, and there wasn't a single thing they could do to stop it. She wasn't sure how much heartbreak they could all take. Sometime the reality was going to ring true, and it was set on a course to take over.

"Vanille..." she whispered, her own voice hindered with sadness, not for the village. It was just bear earth, but for the l'Cie that had just lost the last glimmer of hope.

She walked forward, Vanille had already sunk to her knees and she could see that Fang wouldn't be far behind, she too had a silver streak down her face from where the teardrops had resided.

Reaching out a hand she did the only thing she knew, offered a little support.

"It's... I'ts gone... all of it..." Vanille whispered, her voice cracking. She acted like she couldn't feel Lightning's hand on her shoulder, she couldn't remove her eyes from the destruction.

"We need to go... we have to carry on." Lightning whispered, squeezing her hand slightly tighter. It wasn't what Vanille wanted to hear right now, she knew that. But it was what they all needed to do.

"It's over..." Hope whispered. "There's nothing left"

Lightning tore her eyes away from the young redhead for a minute to see the solomn expression written on Hope's face.

"It's not over... we keep searcing, even if the answer isn't here, its somewhere" she said quietly, half believing it herself. These people, her friends, needed some kind of hope, some kind of mission.

"Where else is there too look?" Snow said, reverting his eyes to her. She could see Serah's teardrop clutched tightly in his fist, he looked like she felt. Angry. In fact if he squeezed the delicate crystal any more she was sure he would break it.

"Somewhere... anywhere. We cant give up. Not now, we've come too far..." she had to make them see sense.

"She's right..." a voice whispered slightly to her left. Spinning round she saw Fang holster her lance, a blank expression on her face.

"We don't give up, I mean, we expected this right?" she nodded towards Oerba. "We knew this is what it would come too, even you did Vanille." She reached down and offered the young girl a hand, which Vanille eyed for a minute.

"So we carry on, I swore, I'd never give up on you, so I'm not stopping now..."

"Neither will I..." Lightning whispered, looking down at the young girl with fire burning behind her eyes. "I have too many things to fight for to give up now"

Vanille thought for a moment, scanning the village again but feeling a little happier, it wasn't about where she had grown up. Or the memories that resided here. It was the people that made it home. And she had everyone she needed right next to her.

Taking Fang's hand she allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. Lightning still not letting go of her shoulder. She was glad for the support.

"What now then?" she whispered. "Where do we go from here?"

"Back to cocoon I guess..." Sazh said confidently, he would be happy to see the back of this planet.

"We take the fight to the Fal'Cie itself..." Lightning responded. "Maybe then we will get some answers."

"There's something I need to do first..." Vanille whispered, she looked back over the edge of the tower. Looking longingly at the broken village. Lightning understood. She needed some kind of closure.

"You sure?" she whispered, concern in her eyes. Vanille nodded.

"One last trip home..."

* * *

"I think Oerba would have reminded you of Bodhum" Vanille said as she walked along, her eyes were diverted to her feet, which she was shuffling along in the pale sand.

"Yeah, how so?" Lightning mused, her eyes were fixed on Vanille, her weapon was drawn and she was striding along slowly, taking in all of what the young girl was telling her.

They had decided to take a walk, after meeting several Vampire's and other monsters they figured travelling in smaller groups would be better. Fang had gone off by herself, much to Vanille's dismay, but Lightning had argued the cause. Fang needed some alone time, something she understood completely.

"Before all this happened, there were alot of people. In fact it was one of the best populated villages on Pulse." she said proudly, "People used to come from everywhere to trade and sight see, just like on Cocoon. There was even a little bit of a beach, well it was more like a drop down to water but we used to play in it as kids. Of course, it wasn't as well protected as Bodhum..."her voice trailed off slightly, and Lightning could imagine why. Monsters on pulse wern't Vanille's favourite subject.

She bit her tongue for a minute before asking the innevitable question.

"Where was your house?" she hallf whispered, feelig like she was treading on eggshells.

Vanille however just smiled and looked up, her eyes scouring the village.

"My parents house was somewhere over there... it wasn't near the village" she pointed slightly south. Tracing the skyline to where just bare earth lay. "It was knocked down even before the war started, I never did have the heart to go back. Fang wanted to of course, she loved exploring but I refused everytime."

She changed the subject quickly. Looking round she soon pointed to one of the only buildings still standing.

"That one over there was where Fang and I lived. It was communal, almost like and orphanage but not just for kids. Everyone who didn't have a home was welcome."

"Sounds like there was some real nice people here..." Lightning whispered looking to the building in question. Vanille nodded.

"They were all family... What about you? Do you miss Bodhum?" she saw Lightning's eyes do what hers had before and fall to her feet.

"In a way yeah, I mean there were nice memories. But mostly, it was just where I lived... not really a home." she stuttered for a minute. "Anywhere with Serah was home..."

"We're going to save her, I'm sure of it..." Vanille mused, this time it was her turn to give Lightning a little hope.

"I know, I'm just not sure how yet." she answered, pausing their walk for a minute and reaching into her pocket. She produced the crystal teardrop, she had wrestled it off Snow earlier. She just felt a little more connected to Serah with it close to her.

"I'm hoping this will give me a little inspiration" she lifted it up and looked at the sun throught it, turning the world blue.

She had to stop however when she felt tears prick the back of her own eyes.

"Come on, no more bad thought's alright?" Vanille said happily. She felt better that she had someone like Lightning by her side. "We need to stay positive, no matter how hard it might seem"

"I know, your right..." she placed the tear back in her pocket. feeling it's almost warm glow run through her.

_It wont be long Serah... I promise... _

* * *

"Shouldn't we look for the others? It's getting dark" Lightning said, wrapping her arms around her own cold shoulders.

"Just a little longer, I like sitting under the stars at night" Vanille pleaded, they hadn't seen a monster for a long time and she was having fun alone with Lightning, it was almost like escaping her troubles. She knew they would be there later, but for now they lay forgotten.

"Besides... I'm safe with you by my side..." she spoke softly, and a little quieter than usual.

Lightning didn't know what to say back, Vanille hadn't mentioned much about what happened under the tower. She had nearly steered clear of the conversation completely. It was something they needed to discuss.

Lightning sighed and placed herself next to the younger girl, the floor was cold but she pressed her arm and her leg on one side next to Vanille, feeling a little heat instantly. She wrapped her arms around her own knees, leaving her weapon unholstered but on the ground.

"Vanille..." she started, her voice soft.

"Don't, I know what you are going to say..." Vanille cut her short, looking into her baby blue eyes.

"Y... You do?" Lightning's throat felt a little dry, this wasn't something that came easy to her.

"Yeah, I know you are going to say that it was a spur of the moment thing, that it was just because you didn't know if we were going to live or not and I understand, I really do." her voice was a little bitter and Lightning was instantly taken aback. She wasn't expecting that.

"What?... Is that what you think?" her voice was shocked when she replied, seeing how Vanille turned away when she spoke. Reaching over she carefully brought her hand to Vanille's face to turn her head back, meeting her eyes once again.

"That's not why..." she sighed. "I meant what I did, completely. It wasn't because the world was coming to an end or anything. It was something that I had wanted to do for a long time. I just didn't know how before, it gave me the perfect oppertunity..." she could feel her face burning a little as she spoke. It was natural for her to be shy, she wasn't very good at voicing her emotions, but then again it seemed neither was Vanille.

It was one of the only times that Vanille hadn't been able to speak.

In fact, she couldn't move, even if she wanted to. An elated feeling was shooting through her, and she was suddely much more aware of how close Lightning was sitting to her.

Lightning was willing her to say something, then the thought struck her that the young girl might not have felt the same. She felt her heart jump quickly at the thought. After all, Vanille hadn't given her any sign what so ever.

"Unless... unless you didn't want it to mean anything?" she was unsure now, the silence was seeming to last forever. She couldn't read Vanille's reaction at all, not untill she spoke, now it was her turn to stutter.

"What... er, no I didn't mean... uhh..." she had a slight flush to her cheeks now too and Lightning couldn't help but smile, this flustered Vanille was even cuter than usual.

"What I meant to say was... yeah... It's what I wanted, I just..." she looked down quickly admiring the sand. "I just didn't know if you were ready..."

"Me neither..." Lightning smiled, leaning forward she caught Vanille's attention, quickly kissing her again, perhaps more softly this time.

"But I was ready to take a chance..." she whispered pulling back."And I hoped you were too..."

Vanille didn't know what to say, she just sat and grinned. They had come along way since she first met Lightning, they had both changed, and now they werne't just fighting for their own fates.

They were fighting for each others...

* * *

**A.N/**

**Well... : ) I got to a little more romance in this one : ) **

**Thanks alot for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. I'm rather happy with the 14,000 hits on this story : ) **

**xx**


	24. Past Dreaming

**Hello! **

**Wow, has it really been two months since my last update? I'm sorry, i've been really busy just lately and havent had time. *Smiles innocently*. Well, for everyone that is still reading this one i thank you for being patient with me. I really must update more often! **

**Thank you to all who reviewed the last chapter. I'm finally getting around to a bit more of Lightning's past... (Don't worry, more romance will come soon!)**

**Anyway, on with the story... Enjoy!**

**XX**

* * *

_"Farron! Hey Farron, I'm talking to you!" _

_Her heart skipped at the sound of his voice, closing her eyes she tried to pretend that he wasn't there at all. She tried to tell herself that her mind was playing tricks on her._

_Clearing her mind of everything she decided to focus on something a little different and allowed herself to listen to the rain pounding down on the streets of Bodhum, hearing the pitter patter as it bounced of the pavements angrily. She knew her own hair was supporting the water, it was running down the length of her pink locks and cascading to the floor with ease. She hadn't bothered taking a coat, she wasn't scared of a little water._

_"Did you not hear me?"_

_'Of course I heard you, I just wanted to pretend I didn't' she thought, gritting her teeth together._

_She wanted to let the ground open up and drop her into a deep hole where no one could find her. _

_"Do you not answer to Farron now?" The boy that spoke let out a shrill laugh and she heard him crack his knuckles together. _

_"Oh that's right... I'ts 'Lightning' now isn't it?"_

_The fifteen year old Lightning gritted her teeth too, curling her fists into balls she was determnined not to let his remarks get to her. It always turned nasty when they did. _

_'Just ignore them...' She looked around her quickly realising her situation, she wasn't in plain sight of anyone else, she had been walking the back streets trying to clear her head. _

_'Nice' She thought. 'I always manage to get myself into things...' _

_Turning around to face the boy she was suprised to find him stood with a group of friends. Instead of letting her fear show she spoke as calmly as she possibly could._

_"What do you want Keiron?" Her voice was steady, nothing like she was feeling. She knew this was bad, Keiron always had the upper hand. Ever since her parents had died she had been picked on by him and his gang, praying on the weak to make themselves seem manly._

_"I don't like your tone Farron..." He said, menacingly taking a step towards her. She in turn took one backwards._

_'Just walk away' she whispered to herself. Turning her back she began to walk slowly away. The easier she could do it perhaps the more they would leave her alone. She knew it wouldn't work though and she heard him yell after her. _

_"Oi, we arne't done!"_

_Spinning around she was about to yell back when she heard something whistling through the air, the next thing she knew was a burning pain strike her across the eyebrow, sending her backwards slightly. _

_Reaching up to the spot she felt a trickle of blood start seeping through her fingers. She could only guess that it had been a rock of some kind. _

_She couldn't quite figure out how they got to her so fast, there was no time to react. The next thing she knew her back was being slammed into the hard brick wall behind her and an arm was being held against her collarbone, refusing to let her move._

_"Let me go!" She wriggled and kicked out at him, making contact with his knee cap. He only recoiled slightly , not enough for her to shake herself free. She struck out again, missing this time and he retaliated by pressing harder._

_She felt the air half leave her lungs as the pressure increased across her throat, struggling again she knew it was no good. _

_Then one of his friends spoke up quickly._

_"Shit, man someone's coming. We gotta go..." He sounded nervous, he knew this was wrong, he only followed Keiron's lead because he didn't want to be on the recieving end._

_"This ain't over Farron... count on it..." he whispered in Lightning's ear. She felt a shiver shoot up her spine at his words. _

_"I'd watch your back if I was you..." He let go abruptly, letting Lightning slide to the floor clutching her throat. Then he turned heel and ran forwards, mingling his footsteps with the raindrops._

_Lightning sat for a moment, stunned at what had just happened, she slowly took breaths trying to get some air back into her lungs. It took a moment for her to look up but when she did she felt herself go slightly pale. _

_"Serah? What the hell are you doing here?" She scrambled to her feet quickly, concerned for her sister. _

_"Claire? Oh god, what happened?" Serah shot forward quickly, helping Lightning to steady herself she looked over her sister in horror. _

_"Claire, you're bleeding!" She wiped at her sisters hair frantically trying to brush it back, Lighting swatted it away quickly. _

_"I'm fine, Serah what are you doing here? You could have been hurt. Anything could have happened to you..." She spoke quickly and regretted for a moment the harsh tone in her voice._

_Serah was slightly taken aback but she answered her sisters question quickly. _

_" I Followed you, you left in a hurry, I just wanted to make sure everything was alright..." She looked up at her sister quickly her eyes falling back to the cut on Lightning's forehead. _

_"We need to get that looked at..." Serah didn't need to ask twice what had happened, Lightning's actions said it all. She knew that Keiron plagued her whenever he could. Yet she didn't know things had gotten this bad, Lightning wasn't the best at sharing her problems._

_"We cant go on like this Serah..." Lightning whispered, she looked down at the young girl who was so like herself with sadness. _

_"What do you mean?" Serah asked puzzled._

_"This... we can't live like it. There has to be a better way, for both of us. We can only live off what we've been left for so long, and then It's going to run out and we will have nothing."_

_"But what else can we do?" Serah asked. She liked the way things were, ever since their parents died it had been her and Lightning. She felt a little scared, she didn't want that to change, but Lightning sounded sincere._

_"I don't know whether Bodhum is good enough any more. I mean, we can't even leave the house without something happening, and I can't, I can't have that for you Serah..." She looked down at her feet quickly, tears swimming in her eyes. _

_"Claire..." _

_"No, there's no other way, I need to be stronger than this, I have to find a way to make us safe... I promised..."_

_"Well what then? What can we do?"_

_"I'm joining the Guardian Corps, as soon as I'm sixteen..."_

_"Claire... I'm serious, you can't" Serah said quickly, It was a crazy idea._

_"So am I." Lightning replied, her voice toneless. "I've been thinking about it for a while now, and this has made up my mind. Thats why I was out here tonight, thinking... If there was another option, don't you think I would take it? This is the only way I know how to keep you safe, It's something I need to do."_

_Serah knew by the tone in her big sisters voice that she was sure about this. She hated the thought of Lightning joining the army, it was a dangerous job. Yet things were changing, and whether that was good or bad she hadn't decided yet. She didn't have too, not tonight anyway._

_"Lets go home..." She whispered. Sliding forward she took Lightning's hand in her own and looked up, up into the blue eyes that mirrored her own. _

_Lightning nodded in agreement and threw her arm around the younger Farron's shoulder. _

_"Yeah... Let's go home..."_

* * *

Vanille's emerald green eyes narrowed slightly as she took in the sights of the sleeping woman next to her. She noticed the gentle rise and fall of her chest with each breath, hindered only for a minute by a quickened gasp. Only a slight hint that the soldier was dreaming.

Her eyes took in the quick furrow of Lightning's brow as a memory flashed across her mind and then was gone. They were just suttle signs, someone would hardly notice them if they were just glimpsing at the sleeping woman, but Vanille was beginning to atune to the older l'Cie's quirks, the little things Lightning pretended weren't there at all.

Vanille was propped up on her elbows watching the pink haired soldier sleep. The night had come in hot and Vanille lacked the skill to ignore the pounding in her head as well as the sweat that poured off her. It was rare that Gran Pulse was ever hot at a night, but then again they had been so used to sleeping outside for the past few weeks. It felt a little alien to have a roof over her head again.

And a familiar one at that.

Looking around the room her stomach fluttered lightly with butterflys. This was where she had first met Fang. She felt as if so much bad had happened here, yet so much good had happened too. Looking down she couldn't help but smile. It was still happening, although this time it was a little one sided.

She liked watching the soldier sleep, it felt good to switch roles once in a while.

* * *

_"Claire?"_

_At first, Lightnning didn't hear the soft voice that sounded so meakly next to her. It was only when Serah spoke a little louder that she noticed she was there._

_"Claire, do you have to go?" _

_It was a heart wrenching plea, one that Lightning knew would be hard to ignore. Serah always did have a way, a strange power over her. This time however, she remembered why she was doing this and it all came back. Reality came back._

_"Serah..." She sighed. She knew as soon as she looked down at her sister that the tears would come. She had left early this morning, trying to avoid the goodbye that would be so difficult for them both._

_Basic training was only for two months, but they had never been apart. They had never left each other sides before. She looked down breifly, taking in her new uniform. It wasn't very her, but she would have to get used to it. From now on, this was her swardrobe._

_"Claire... Claire please..."_

_"Serah, we've been through this..." She sighed, this was hard for them both, but she knew Serah would be safe. she had spoken to the residents of Bodhum and asked them to keep an eye on her. Truth be told, she knew Serah thought she wouldn't really go through with this, yet her mind was made up._

_"It's just two months and then I'll be back, I'll be posed here, in Bodhum." There they were, the tears she was desperately trying not to let fall. If she was in the army now, she had to get stronger, she had to lose the emotions. _

_"I know but..." _

_Serah was cut short by the boarding call for Lightning's train and Lightning spun round to listen._

_"Serah... listen I have to go..." She looked back at her sister to see she hadn't been able to contain her tears so easily, and just as she was about to protest some more Lightning rushed forward and pulled her into a tight hug._

_"I'll be fine... I promise. And when I get back so will you. No more crying okay? We will both get through this, you'll see." She pulled back from the hug as a single teardrop cascaded down her cheek. She wiped at it quickly._

_"I love you..." Serah whispered, she smiled slightly, as bright as she could manage in the situation. _

_"Be safe" _

_"I love you too..." Lightning whispered. Turning around she picked her bag up quickly, she had to go. If she didn't she knew she wouldn't._

_'Don't look back' she whispered to herself, but she did, she couldn't help it. It was a reflex. She looked back upon an empty space. Serah couldn't bear the goodbye, to see her sister leave. Lightning was glad in a way, that way she wouldn't remember her getting on the train. _

_"Goodbye Serah..." She whispered, turning back and walking through the open doors of the train. Ahead was a new life, for both of them. A better way... She knew it..._

* * *

Vanille found herself quietly musing at what Lightning could be dreaming about. Whatever it was the soldier was sleeping a little more peacefully now, curled up next to her. She began to wonder how much of the older l'Cie she really knew at all. Everything they had been through together, every siuation and Lightning still remained a mystery.

Sure, Lightning knew her, she had hidden nothing from her past. In fact it was nice to have shared it with someone, it made things just a little bit brighter. She found herself hoping that Lightning would open up to her in time. It was hard for the older l'Cie she knew, and she also knew she hadn't shared it with anyone. Maybe she had never felt close enough to anyone to let them in yet.

Vanille sighed and rolled herself onto her back. Looking up at the ceiling she shuffled closer to Lightning, just so that their sides were touching, not enough to disturb her.

She jumped slightly as Lightning stirred, snuggled closer and then settled again. This time a little quieter than before.

Vanille smiled and allowed her eyes to drift shut slowly.

Even though there was things she didn't know, secrets from Lightning's past that she couldn't recognise, she felt happy.

Lightning was here, by her side, living, breathing. It was more than any of them could have hoped for after Gran Pulse. She knew it would be time to go soon, to leave her home and travel back to Cocoon, to keep searcing for the thing that would make Lightning the happiest.

She knew, instantly, that she would follow her wherever she went. Now that she had the pink haired soldier, she wasn't letting go.

As she begun to drift off she gave one final thought to their brands... she didn't care anymore, it wasn't about how little a time they had left. It was about how they spent the time that mattered, and the person sleeping soundly by her side could fill the gap perfectly...

* * *

**Yaay I'ts done!. I know It's fairly short and kind of not related to the story in any way but i wanted to put a little bit of Lightning's past in there too, or what i mused was in her past. Anyway, thank you for reading. I shall try and post a little more often! **


	25. Saying Goodbye

**Heya Guys.**

**So, not many reviewers on the last chapter huh? Well, one actually. Thanks TheNomade5, It's nice to know you are still enjoying the story.**

**Well, I'm continuing regardless, I guess I'll just have to step it up slightly, so here is the next chapter, a faster update for you all. **

**I guess it's good that the story is getting a lot of hits though, it shows people are still reading it. On with the story.**

* * *

Gran Pulse was beautiful, in a way that she would never forget.

As her feet brushed along the glistening white sand one more time she sighed. It was goodbye.

Goodbye to her beautiful planet, the last time she would see her home. See Oerba, and all of the other places she had grown up knowing.

She wanted to be alone for a while, to take in the fact that they would probably never return here. Whatever happened next, good or bad she doubted they would ever leave Cocoon. Hearing footsteps behind her she sighed, well, the silence was good while it lasted. Yet, if it was who she thought, she didn't mind.

"Fang?" She turned around at the sound of a small voice, a girl like herself, saying goodbye to her home planet.

"Are you alright?"

She was about to ask Vanille the same question. Instead of speaking she simply nodded. Not wanting to give her emotions away too easily.

"It's going to be hard isn't it? Leaving here?" Vanille mused. She latched her fingers together and walked forward so her feet were paralel with the older womans. Then she too looked up at the sky, her eyes scanning a light blue horizon, something she would remember for a very long time. She was half looking forward to what Cocoon would hold for them. It was a new start, away from all the memories. She was ready to start again.

"I promise..." Fang began, her voice quieter than usual. "I promise that, no matter what happens, good or bad, I'll keep you safe... we were okay on Cocoon before, so we can do it again right? It's just going to be hard for a while"

Vanille nodded, unlatching her hands she slowly took Fang's in hers. Giving it a gentle squeeze she smiled up at the older woman. It was right that they should spend the last few hours on Pulse together. In the place it all started. Oerba.

"Just tell me something Vanille?" Fang asked slowly, she looked down on the young l'Cie with curiosity in her eyes. There was one thing she needed to know, and Vanille needed to admit it to herself.

"What is it Fang?" Vanille mused curious. It was very unlike Fang to have a heart-to-heart with anyone. Not unless it was completely important.

"Do you love her?" her question was simple, and with a more compassionate tone than she would usually speak with. It also caught Vanille slightly off-guard.

Vanille didn't need to ask who she was talking about, in fact she had been asking herself the same question lately. It was something that deep down she already knew the answer to. She didn't answer straight away, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Her and Fang had been friends for so long, it was difficult to win Fang's approval.

"Yes..." she answered quietly. "I do"

"Tell her..." Fang answered, much to Vanille's surprise. "She needs to hear it, for both of you. I've seen you two together, she makes you happy, and I can see you make her happy too, you just need to voice it. Vanille, don't lose the oppertunity that's in front of you. Whatever happens, you owe it to her, and to yourself"

"Fang I..." Vanille didn't quite know what to say, hearing the words from Fang's mouth struck a cord somewhere within her.

"Just promise me something?" Fang added.

"Anything..."

"Promise, through it all, you won't forget me yeah?" Her voice was a little lighter and she was grinning sideways at the younger girl.

Vanille giggled to herself, looking down at the ground she shuffled her feet.

"Never, you'll always have me, I can promise you that, I'll never leave your side. We told ourselves that we would be together forever and I meant it. Count on it."

"That's all I need to know.." Fang's voice trailed off, the breeze picked up her dark hair and blew it out behind her in one sweeping motion. She smiled, Gran Pulse was saying farewell back.

* * *

"Hey Light, we nearly ready to go?" Hope asked as he walked up to the older l'Cie. When he had come here, after all the heartache back on Cocoon, he was sure they would find the answers they had been looking for. Now that it was leading them back again, he wasn't sure what was running through his head. Going home was going to be a big step for all of them. Just as they were addapting to the creatures and the harshness of Gran Pulse they were going to have to shift again. He knew as soon as they landed PSICOM would be on top of them.

Lightning would know what to do, she always had the answers, and right now he needed the reassurance from the woman that had turned his life back around, she had almost become a mother figure to him. Helping him to overcome the death of Nora, now it was his turn, she had changed recently and it wasn't just him that could see it.

"Light, you okay?" He asked again, louder this time, he could see the soldier had been daydreaming by the way she jumped and looked up. He saw her mentally growl at herself.

"Uh, yeah Hope I'm fine, we about packed up?" She answered, smiling down at the young boy.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about, Fang and Vanille arne't back yet."

"They will be, I think they just need a little space, after all, it's got to be hard for them. Knowing they will probably never see home again. It's nice for them to have a little time together, they both need it..." Deep down her heart was aching at the fact Vanille wanted to be by herself, Lightning found herself wanting to spend every waking minute by the younger girls side. She understood however, how vanille was feeling. If it was her she would want some space, and she respected that.

"You seem different around her Light, you know? Brighter?" Hope dared to push the conversation, everyone had been itching to ask what was really going on between the two women.

"It's nice, seeing you happy... well... what I mean is... Its nice that you have someone else to fight for." Hope spoke softly, Lightning needed something else to drive her exept rage at the fal'Cie.

Lightning didn't answer, she was beginning to think Hope was wiser than she gave him credit for.

"Anyway, when your ready, we need to start loking for a way home, it can't be too difficult, we found the ship to come here alright. It would be best to do it before night falls." Hope said, slowly starting to walk away.

"Hope?" Lightning turned to call after him. She needed to know he was ready, going back to Cocoon might be a little difficult if it dragged up memories of the past.

"Are you sure your ready? To go back I mean?" He nodded his reply, he had to be, it wasn't about what he wanted anymore. It was about fighting for what was right, and helping Lightning, who they all owed so much to, to get her sister back. The brands almost seemed worthless now, now that time was running short, he was beginning to think about how the time they had left should be spent. The journey was coming to an end. One way or another...

"I'm sure, we'll face anything we need to. This isn't about just one of us anymore, we are a team. I'll fight with you untill the end. I promise."

With a final nod he began the walk back to the others, grabbing his arm he squeezed the l'Cie mark tightly. He would fight to the very end, courage had replaced the doubts he used to have and courage would drive him forward. No more looking back at the past.

Lightning looked after him with a blank expression on her face. He had grown up in the past few weeks. He used to be a boy, someone who needed protection. Now he had grown into someone she couldn't help but be proud of.

She whispered lightly, just too low for him to hear.

"Thanks Hope..."

* * *

"Are you ready to head back? The others will be wanting to go." Fang was the first to break the silence between the two women, the mid-day sun was beating down on their skin and they were sat on the hot ground, their knees pulled to their chests, waiting until the time was right to depart.

Vanille nodded, there was no time like the present, and they couldn't dwell forever. It had to come sometime, so better to get it over with.

"I'm ready, it's not about the planet anymore. Everything I need is going back to Cocoon with me..."

"I second that..." Fang smiled. Picking herself up off the dusty floor she brushed herself down quickly, reaching down she picked her trusty lance up too, placing it back in it's rightful place across her back. She then reached down and offered her hands to the younger girl, Vanille took them gladly and allowed herself to be pulled up off the floor. She too brushed herself down, removing the last peice of Gran Pulse from her clothing.

"Here, this is for you..." Fang said quietly. She held out her hand. In her palm was a perfectly bright white flower. Like the ones Vanille had seen just before Hecatoncheir appeared.

Vanille's eyes widened, she hadn't seen one in Oerba yet, she thought they had died with the rest of the village.

"Where did you...?"

"It's the only one I could find, I thought you would want to take a little piece of home back with you." Fang smiled and held her hand out further, willing Vanille to take it.

"Oh thank you, Fang it's perfect." Vanille took the flower carefully, picking it up by the stem she carefully slotted it through her hair, fixing it into place she giggled. She used to wear them all the time when she had been younger.

"Suits you" Fang smiled. Vanille lurched forwards and pulled Fang into a hug. She didn't know what to say.

"Your welcome" Fang laughed. Hugging her back. "Let's get moving"

"Wait? Whats that?" Vanille said puzzled, pulling back from the hug she looked up and frowned slightly. Something had moved in the corner of her eye. Sitting on one of the broken brick walls was an owl, she was sure they had seen it before. The patterns across it's wings were familiar. Maybe they had seen it back on Cocoon?

"What's what?..." Fang too looked up, just as the bird took flight. She felt the colour drain from her face. They had seen it before. This wasn't good. If he was here they could all be in serious trouble, it was bad enough fighting him when they had all been together to help, now they were seperated, they had to hurry.

"Barthandelus!" she said quickly. "It's Barthandelus, we need to warn the others"

Vanille felt her heart skip slightly. He had followed them here, the last time they had seen him was back on Cocoon. She needed to get back to Lightning, quickly.

"Are you sure?" she hoped they were wrong.

"Did you see the pattern across its wings? Its the same, I'm sure". We need to move"

Vanille didn't argue, something bad was about to happen, she was sure of it.

* * *

"Hey, Light, was this here eariler?" Snow called her from a few buildings away. She looked in the direction he was pointing, straight across the broken old railway line was something she felt sure they would have noticed.

"Hey it's a ship!" he yelled. "We can use it to get back!" stumbling forward in his usual demanor she stopped him abruptly.

"Don't go rushing on in, I'm sure that wasn't there earlier. We explored this town comple tely" she was puzzled. Or maybe somehow they had just managed to overlook it?

"Looks good to me, besides we've got to wait for the others. I say we check it out. Might just have survived all these years. Probably won't even fly." Sazh said, stepping forwards. Any way off this planet was a bonus.

"Hmmm, I don't know. I think we need to be careful..." she was happy to see something that might act as a way out of here, it's wasn't like any of them had crossed the railway either. It was possible that they hadn't seen it. It just seemed doubtful. Sighing she walked forward. They had faced so much on this planet already, maybe this time it would be something simple. They could all hope at least.

"Finally, a way off this rock!" Snow yelled, running forward.

"Hey, what did I say about rushing in?" she shook her head. When was Snow ever going to learn.

'Never' she thought. 'It's just not his style.'

She had an uneasy feeling, she found herself looking over her shoulder, scanning the horizon for signs of Vanille. She was always calmer and more relaxed when she was by her side, it made things a little bit easier to deal with. She hoped the young redhead would be back soon, then she was sure her worries would depart quickly.

Looking back towards the ship she squinted slightly, allowing her feet to grind to a halt she felt her heat beat speed up. She was aware that Snow too had stopped dead.

There was a figure not too far ahead that she hadn't seen before now, a familliar shape that was calling to her.

It couldn't be. It was impossible. It was completely irrational, there wasn't a chance it could be true.

Her feet were rooted to the spot, they refused to move, even from this far away distance she could see as clear as day, and as the person walked forwards she recognised every movement. Every footstep, she had memorised them for every day of her life growing up.

It just couldn't be.

The world around her didn't matter anymore, everything else left her mind and her line of sight. She didn't even see Fang and Vanille come skidding round a corner towards them. The longing she had been feeling for Vanille had left her quickly at the sight before her.

"Hell no, look!" Fang half yelled to Vanille. She skidded to a halt and pointed in Lightning's direction. Vanille had already seen what Fang was referring too, this was worse than bad. This was just plain cruel. She had only met the girl once in her life, yet as she stood in front of her sister, Vanille couldn't mistake who she was looking at.

"LIGHTNING!" she yelled, desperately trying to get her attention, it was no good, Lightning was too fixed on the sight in front of her. They were too late.

"Come on, we need to get there" she yelled, already running ahead of Fang. They were just too far away.

Lightning never even noticed them. Forcing her feet to walk forward her eyes fixed into baby blue's like her own. She forgot for a brief second, all of her training. All the survival instincts she had honed so well.

She was alive, walking, breathing right in front of her. Close enough to touch. She tried to find her voice, to say something, anything. Yet all that came out of her mouth was a barely audible whisper.

"Serah?...


	26. The Things That Matter

**Heya Guys! **

**Well, that was a much better reception on the last chapter. Thanks to everyone for your time reading this story, it's been a pleasure so far to write this one. So it means a lot that you all are still reading it. **

**Again I apologise that it has been a while since my last update, but would like to thank razorsedge1595, for agreeing to Beta for me in the future : ) **

**Anyway, on with the story…**

**XX**

* * *

"_Serah?" _

There was a voice swirling around in her head. It was her own, yet it sounded alien. So unlike the usually confident tones of her own vocals. The name of her sister, repeating over and over again, and the image of a ghost, bright against the sun.

She was scared to blink, if she turned away now perhaps Serah would simply disappear, and there would be a crystal in front of them again. Just like they had left her back on Cocoon. She shook her head lightly. She would wake up at any time, and her sister would be gone. She would wake up, on the planet below. Far away from the comfort of her own world.

"But… how…" she heard a voice next to her say. Daring a glance across, she saw it was Snow who had spoken. His fists were curled up into balls, his limbs shaking uncontrollably at the sight of his fiancé. He too was shocked, she knew the expression he was wearing mirrored her own perfectly.

Yet he was asking the questions that she should have been thinking herself.

"Serah? How are you here? How did you get out of crystal stasis? It's impossible!" he marched forward a few steps.

The young girl didn't reply straight away, however an un-Serah like grin lit the corners of her mouth. Showing a hint of evilness. She chose not to reply to Snow, in fact she blanked him as if he was not there at all. Instead, she walked forward, her small footsteps seeming to boom around the unusually quiet planet. Lightning could have counted every step that she took, her eyes taking in every time her foot touched the floor.

"My sister…" Serah whispered, the grin disappearing from her face. This time it was replaced by an expression that was unreadable. Like the blank page you find hovering at the back of a book, unreadable, yet still there.

"Serah… I…" Lightning gulped. She had so much she wanted to say, so much she needed to say. She just…. couldn't. Something felt wrong.

For the first time she allowed herself to focus on other things, seeing a blurred shape moving in the corner of her eye she stole a quick look to where Fang and Vanille were moving towards them. She furrowed her brow, why were they hurrying?

Serah took another few steps forward and then stopped, she too looked up at the running women, her expression changing to one of annoyance.

Of course, Barthandelus knew that his cover was blown. He had seen the two women identify him earlier. That wasn't going to stop him from having one last ditch attempt to bring the l'Cie further down. His Serah charade could come in handy for one more thing.

Barthandelus turned, just in time to see Snow hurl himself forward, grabbing for Serah's arms. He quickly sidestepped, kicking out, with far more strength than the little Serah could have produced.

Snow caught the blow on the back of his knee, it sent him blundering forward, crashing to the floor he looked up in anger. This wasn't Serah, it was impossible. She would never have blanked him and been hostile like that. Lightning just needed to see it.

"Its not her, Light, its not Serah!" he screamed, trying to get through. "Take her down, it's all smoke and mirrors, Serah would never attack us!"

Lightning's eyes widened at his harsh words, how could she possibly hurt her own sister? Even by any chance it wasn't her, it still looked like her. Looked like the one person on earth that had complete control over her emotions.

"You wouldn't hurt your own sister?" Barthandelus said, as sweetly as he could make Serah's voice sound. "You love me too much…"

"Don't you _Claire?_"

Lightning took a step backwards, her voice making a funny sound in her throat. She had called her by her proper name. No one else would know that, she hadn't told anyone what it was. It had to be Serah. She could feel the atmosphere go tense as the people around her listened intently to her name. She didn't care, all that mattered was Serah. Her Serah was here.

"Light!" another voice made her look away from the girl in front of her. A voice she knew she would answer wherever it was spoken. She caught on to Vanille, close enough to pant out a warning, her hair plastered to her forehead in sweat. She looked as if she had run a small marathon. And for a split second, Lightning forgot that Serah was there at all. Her mind instantly transferring to the red-haired l'Cie in front of her.

"Light, it's Barthandelus…." Vanille panted, pointing past Lightning, straight at Serah.

"No…" Lightning whispered, looking back.

"Light, we've seen him, he's trying to play games with us, please listen…" she sounded more desperate than Lightning had ever heard her. Her bright eyes swimming with tears. Tears of frustration and desperation. She so desperately wanted Lightning to see.

"Serah… it cant be…" she whispered, looking back to her sister. Vanille wouldn't lie to her, not about something like this. Her head was screaming at her to listen, yet her heart was torn in two directions.

Before she had time to ponder, Serah laughed. A cold laugh that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She was bathed in a white light, so much so that Lightning and the rest of the l'Cie had to shield their eyes. Their vision temporarily warped.

When she opened them, the sight in front of her made her heart sink.

It was true, Barthandelus stood tall, his fal'Cie shape filling the daylight, blocking the sun with his huge frame.

"No…" she whispered, her own eyes filling with tears. Letting her sword hand go limp, she pointed the blade towards the ground in dejection. There was nothing to fight for. Serah was still on Cocoon, beyond an impossible focus, one that seemed to be out weighing them at every possible moment. She allowed herself to sink to her knees, ignoring the sting as they met the solid concrete floor. The pain was just physical, it would heal in time. Mentally, she couldn't go on.

"Barthandelus…" Snow whispered next to her, he had picked himself up out of the dirt, ready for a fight. She could see the tears running down his face too, a sharp reminder that it wasn't just her that was suffering. It had to be hell for him too.

"Light, get up…" Vanille whispered, running forward, she covered the remaining distance between them and crouched down next to the soldier. Her hand instantly going to Lightning's shoulder for comfort. Lightning didn't even shrug her off, her eyes were pointed down towards the floor.

"You've got to get up, we cant do this without you!" she said desperately, her voice a high pitched tone. She looked over to Snow for guidance, he was too focused on Barthandelus to pay any attention. She could see his fists shaking in anger, the hurtful expression on his face made her own heart sink. But at least he was trying.

"Vanille, watch out!" Fang yelled suddenly, Barthandelus aimed a magic attack in her and lightning's direction. She just had time to squeak and place her arms over her head, shielding both her and Lightning from the blast. She closed her eyes, just as Fang jumped in front of them, a Steelguard quite aptly summoned.

Lightning didn't even flinch. She didn't acknowledge that Vanille was there at all, or that Fang had just saved the both of them. Her mind was a mingle, images swirling with Barthandelus's words.

"Light, listen to me" Vanille shook her shoulders, gently at first. She was trying to keep her voice calm, even though she wanted to shout desperately for Lightning to snap out of it.

"This might not be Serah, but she is waiting for you, Light, she is waiting up there, on Cocoon." she tore her eyes away, ignoring the fal'Cie for a moment, her eyes brushing the surface of the scarred planet above her. Sending a silent prayer for help.

"She's up there, and we can still save her. There is still time. The answers might not be here, but we keep looking. Wherever it takes us…"

Lightning didn't listen, she could hear Vanille's voice. She just wasn't paying any attention to the words she was speaking. Vanille shook her shoulders again, she shuffled around, so that she was kneeling directly in front of the soldier, ignoring the battle cries from behind her.

With a shaking hand, she carefully lifted Lightning's face to meet hers, her eyes locking together with the baby blue's of the woman in front. For the first time, Lightning saw the emotion held in them. She saw how much Vanille wanted her to go on.

"I need you…" Vanille said, her voice extremely soft. "And I can't do this alone…" she felt the sting behind her eyes as they welled up.

"Lightning… I…" she whispered, Lightning needed to know how she felt.

Lightning's eyes tore away from Vanille in a fast reflex, her limbs finally springing into action. She grabbed Vanille's shoulders quickly, hurling them both from the spot they sat, just in time to avoid a rogue Ruinga. It struck the ground behind them, and she quickly covered Vanille's body with her own, her nose inches away from the other girls.

When the rubble had settled she pulled herself to her feet quickly, and then helped Vanille to her feet. She smiled at the young girl quickly. It wasn't a pain free smile, more of a thank you. Vanille understood completely, what they had to talk about, it could wait. Right now, they had bigger problems.

"Barthandelus!" Lightning yelled as she turned around, her gun blade raised to chest height. He was toying with them, feeding off their emotions, trying to blind them with false gestures. The anguish she had been feeling was quickly replaced with anger. If that was his game, to make her lay down and give up, she would not do so willingly. She glanced again at Vanille, then to the rest of her companions. She had more to fight for than she thought. Vanille was right, Serah was waiting for them on Cocoon.

"The only thing standing between me and my sister, Barthandelus… Is you!" she yelled angrily, her rage directed in his direction. He laughed again, this time his voice was his own, and not Serah's. A deep, evil tone that Lightning was beginning to despise. No matter how many times they knocked him down. He bounced back.

"Not this time…" Lightning whispered to herself. "No matter what it takes. We're fighting this focus to the end…"

"Oh l'Cie…." Barthandelus replied, his voice showing the hint of a chuckle. "You cannot fight this focus… how can you possibly hope to win?. You are bound to the destruction of Cocoon, your paths will lead you there. No matter how the outcome unravels…"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Snow answered angrily, "We refuse to hurt Cocoon, it's our home! We'll save Serah, and Cocoon!" he produced the teardrop from his pocket and squeezed it tightly.

'Whatever it takes…' he thought.

"Your journey is coming to an end." Barthandelus continued, "And it will end how it is supposed to, so travel l'Cie, the only way to save your sister is to defeat Orphan, bringing Cocoon to it's knees, fight it all you will, the outcome is inevitable. You are just too naive to see it"

"You're wrong!" Hope yelled, his boomerang fixed firmly in his hand.

"Go then, go where you will, see wherever the path leads you. Go to the one who dreams of death… and sleep as crystals knowing your focus is complete…."

Barthandelus's voice trailed off, there was another flash of light, this time not as bright. Enough for the l'Cie to see him transform. In a split second, the owl was gone, Barthandelus along with it. Leaving the l'Cie staring at a blank picture, with just the image of a Cocoon ship in front of them.

"What the?" Lightning heard Sazh say to Hope, who in reply, shrugged his shoulders.

Lightning breathed a sigh of relief, dropping her sword arm, she once again allowed the tip to point towards the floor. She saw everyone looking in her direction. Their eyes burning into her skin. Unspoken questions swirling in their minds. She couldn't face them yet. She turned away, the adrenaline fading. She could feel her limbs shaking as everything came back.

Not here, she had to stay strong. She walked forward, ignoring the stinging sensation behind her eye lids, ignoring the salty tears threatening to run from her eyes. She had to keep her composure.

Snow made towards her but she raised her hand, stopping him in his tracks. She didn't meet his gaze, she didn't meet anyone's gaze. Dipping her shoulders down she just walked past everyone, not one of them moving towards her.

"I think she needs some space.." Fang said, her voice soft. She could only imagine what the soldier was going through. If it had been Vanille stood there, taunting them. She would have felt the same.

"I'll go…" Vanille said, she didn't want the soldier to be alone. No matter how tough she was acting. Fang nodded her agreement.

"The rest of you… erm… look busy?" she wasn't brilliant with emotions. She just knew that everybody needed someone. Even Lightning.

* * *

"You know, when I thought it was her, I…" Lightning's voice was solemn, a tone of vulnerability that Vanille had never heard.

Lightning didn't turn around, she knew who was stood behind her, the only person that was there when she needed someone. The one person she could sense a mile away.

"Light, no one expects you to be made of steel. Just, don't hide it…" Vanille whispered, taking a few steps closer to the soldier.

Lightning was stood on the edge of one of the steps in Oerba. Her feet close to the edge of the water, a vast expanse that stretched for miles and miles. She knew no one would disturb her under the railway, no one except the person she wished to see.

"I know, I just, I nearly blew it back there. I couldn't think, I couldn't move. Its like she had some kind of power over me… I… I even, couldn't see you…" Lightning hung her head, her voice ashamed.

"She's your sister, she means more to you than anyone. I couldn't imagine what I would have been like in your shoes…"

"But Snow, even he could see it. And I was blind… why is that?" she curled her fists up, angry at herself.

"You care for her, probably equally, or more than he does. Sure, he loves her, but you have a connection that makes her your sister. Something no one else can have…" Vanille closed the gap and put her hand carefully on Lightning's shoulder. Passing the comfort of her prescience.

"I.. I'm sorry Vanille."

"Don't" Vanille held a finger to the older woman's lips, surprised to find that they were wet from crying. "Don't apologise. We all have our weak moments… me especially." she smiled sweetly, brushing the hair back from Lightning's face. She looked a mess, her eyes were red from crying, her hair was untamed where she had just let it dangle in front of her eyes, to hide the expression on her face. Vanille didn't care, to her, Lightning had never looked more beautiful. It made her look normal, the strong persona gone.

Lightning turned around, the love in Vanille's eyes made her own eyes sting more, she couldn't help but let out a sob, one she had been holding in for so many weeks. She threw her arms around Vanille's shoulders and pulled the younger girl to her, finally letting the walls down.

She broke down, she couldn't help it. The stress of the past few weeks creeping up on her. Vanille was surprised at first, but she held on, wrapping her arms tightly around Lightning's waist. They fit together perfectly.

She held her until the sobs became small sniffles, she could feel the back of her tank top was wet, Lightning's tears had soaked through it. She didn't mind. It was nice to be there for someone else for a change.

"I'm sorry…" Lightning finally whispered, pulling back she looked embarrassed.

"Like I said, don't be. I'm here for you, you just have to see it." she paused for a second, wanting to say what she really meant. She needed to say it.

"I… I love you…" she whispered, her voice was quiet but Lightning caught it as if she had shouted it. She stood transfixed for a moment, Vanille's heart fluttering at the silence.

Then she smiled, brighter than Vanille had ever seen, lighting up her features perfectly. Vanille breathed a sigh of relief.

"I love you too, I just couldn't find the words…" Lightning replied. This time it was Vanille's turn to blush, she had been wanting not only to say those words for a long time, but to hear them said back. She leaned forwards and gently captured Lightning's lips with her own. Lightning returned the kiss gently, her arms wrapping back round the red-head to keep her locked in her grasp. She wanted to stay there forever, for the moment never to end.

Vanille reluctantly broke the kiss, she smiled and looked back up at the soldier, wiping the last few tears from her cheeks.

"Where do we go from here?" she asked, unsure.

"Wherever we have too…" Lightning whispered, "Back to Cocoon, and then, we take Barthandelus up on his offer, we take the fight to Orphan…"

"But wont that destroy Cocoon?" Vanille asked confused.

"There is always a way, we just need to find it." Lightning looped her fingers through Vanille's and squeezed her hand tight, never wanting to let go. She looked back over to the water for a moment, the worries lifting while she was here with the young l'Cie.

"Light, I wanted to ask you…" Vanille prodded gently,

Lightning turned to her puzzled.

"What did Serah… erm, Barthandelus, what did he say to you?…" she finished her sentence quickly, she hadn't been able to hear what the fal'Cie had said.

Lightning hesitated slightly before answering, it was time Vanille knew. No more secrets, she wanted her to know.

"My name…" she paused, looking down so that their eyes met. "Claire."

Vanille was taken aback, Lightning's real name was Claire? She smiled. She could see it, it was softer than she had expected, then again she didn't know what to expect, she wouldn't have known at where to begin guessing.

"It suits you…" she said quickly. "Claire…" she repeated it slowly, enjoying the sound of calling the soldier by her real name. She giggled quietly.

Lightning felt a slight tingle at Vanille saying her name, it just felt… right.

"What do you say, are you ready to go?" Vanille asked, giving Lightning's hand a quick squeeze back. "Back to Cocoon." she shivered.

"Are you ready…?" Lightning asked, feeling the vibration through the young girls fingertips.

"There's nothing left for me here…" Vanille said quietly. "I belong wherever you are…" she looked up, her eyes committed.

Lightning pulled her into a hug, she closed her eyes, taking in the smell of the young girls hair, and taking in everything around them. The last time they would be on the planet below. She felt slightly saddened, yet Vanille was right. As long as they were together, nothing else mattered.

She whispered softly in the young l'Cie's ear.

"Let's go home…"

* * *

**A.N.**

**: ) What did you think? At least I didn't leave you with a cliff-hanger : )**

**Thanks for reading! **


	27. The Element of Surprise

**Heya Guys. **

**Thank you very much to the reviewers out there, It's nice to know you are all still reading! **

**I've been working on both this story and my new one, Because You're Here as I wanted to post both the chapters on together, so I apologise for the delay in updating this story. I believe it has been about a week, so it is still a little faster than I have been updating recently ;)**

**Anyway, the story continues! **

**Enjoy**

**X**

* * *

Vanille looked down at the surface of her home planet sadly. She had her hands firmly pressed up against the aircrafts glass window, as close as possible to the view below.

"It's the right choice…" Fang whispered next to her, making her jump slightly. She nodded and turned around to look at the older Pulsian.

"It's still hard though, knowing we will probably never return…" she whispered, her breath clouding up the glass as she turned away, back to the view of her home. The ground looked majestic from this position, the late sun beginning to set. Casting an orange glow over so many of the landmarks she once knew.

It had been her wish to return here, when she was running from her focus, she never imagined going back to Cocoon in the end.

"It's hard, but it doesn't matter, it's what we have to do…" Fang sighed, "We have some good memories here, but maybe. We can make some more on Cocoon, no matter how much we hate it."

"I never hated it, I was just scared to be there" Vanille replied quickly. The planet above was starting to grow on her. After all not everything about the nest of vipers was bad. That's where Lightning came from.

"Either way, it seems that's where destiny wants us eh?" Fang smiled, running a hand over the young l'Cie's head. Vanille nodded, it seemed that way.

"Okay, listen up!" Lightning's voice broke both the Pulsian's thoughts as she addressed them all, she was thinking strategically, the plan needed to be right if they were going to pull this off.

"Come on, the soldier has something to say…" Fang rolled her eyes sarcastically, earning her a light playful smack on the shoulder from Vanille.

"No, she has a plan Fang, something that might help us get to Eden?" Vanille laughed.

"What ever happened to winging it?" Fang murmured to herself, she reluctantly left the window to join Vanille and listen to Lightning, after all Vanille was right they needed some kind of plan.

"So, this plane will land us at Eden's gates, right Sazh?" Lightning asked the pilot.

"Uh, huh. We just need to figure out what to do when it lands, the whole of Cocoon will be looking for us.." he said glumly, this wasn't going to be easy. "I doubt we will be able to sneak past quietly, they will be on us in minutes."

"Hmm… that's true, if we give them time to get to us when we land, we wont stand a chance against hundreds of soldiers…" Lightning whispered, turning away in thought.

"Well, then I say we don't actually land it…" Hope chipped in, "We can use the Eidolons right? Give them the element of surprise?"

"What do you mean like jump out?" Snow said doubtfully. He had enough of that coming into Pulse, let alone arriving the same way on Cocoon.

"Nice" Fang whispered, "Take em by surprise, I like it" she let a grin grace her from ear to ear. At least Bahamut could fly.

"All the Eidolons should be able to get us there safely." Lightning said, liking the idea. They wouldn't even have time to notice the plane coming. She gave a nervous look over at Vanille. What if something went wrong?

"I don't know…" the young girl said quickly. She hadn't liked plummeting to the ground before, she was sure she wouldn't like to repeat it.

"If your scared, come with me…" Lightning whispered. Right as Fang was about to suggest the same. Fang rolled her eyes, she already knew what Vanille was going to say.

"Well… if your sure it will work?" she said nervously. Being next to Lightning would make everything less scary.

"I'm not sure, but its our best shot." Lightning replied, looking round at everyone.

"Are we all agreed then?" she asked, they all looked rather pale faced. Everyone apart from Fang that was.

"Well if we aren't we better think of something else quickly, this is our ticket out of here…" Sazh said quickly, tilting his head towards the huge glowing gate that would take them back to Cocoon. He flew around it, instead of straight towards, giving everyone time to answer.

"Are you sure?" Fang whispered in Vanille's ear, worried that the young girl was more scared than she was letting on. She spoke low, so that just the two of them could hear.

"Yes" she whispered, looking Fang in the eye so the older woman could see she was sincere. "I'm sure. Light will take care of me Fang…"

"I know she will, but it's not going to stop me caring about you I'm just worried, can you blame me? This isn't going to be easy…" she sighed, knowing that she would be safe with Lightning. "I mean what I said. I'm always here for you, whenever you need it." she just needed Vanille to know.

"Thanks" Vanille whispered, taking and squeezing Fangs hand, reassurance that she understood. She didn't know why but she just felt secure with the pink haired soldier, more than with anyone. Even Fang.

"Okay, it's settled then, I think I'm ready" Fang said to Sazh, as Vanille said the same.

Hope and Snow hesitated for a moment, before saying that they too agreed that it was the best plan.

Sazh didn't need a reply from Lightning, she was born ready.

"Okay then, you had better hold on, this was bumpy the first time, I cant see it being any different." he said quickly, the gate was looming up fast. He gripped on to the steeping column as hard as he could, the top of his knuckles turning white with effort.

Lightning made her way across to Vanille, who was now back at the window, her face almost pressed against it, taking in Gran Pulse one last time.

"It will be okay, we'll get through…" Lightning whispered in her ear, unlike Fang she didn't make the young l'Cie jump, she already knew Lightning was there.

"I know, you're here, what else could I want?" Vanille replied softly, turning from her window and taking Lightning's hand.

Lightning smiled down at the young l'Cie happily. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so good, perhaps it was when she was on Cocoon, or perhaps it was the last time she had spoken to Serah. She didn't know, all she knew was Vanille had a way of making everything right, making the future look hopeful, for that. She was grateful.

"Grab on!" Sazh shouted over his shoulder as the plane descended into the strange gate, its wings instantly being taken upwards and sideways, making Sazh grab on even harder. That resulted in a violent shudder, making the whole craft sway with force.

Vanille grabbed on to Lightning's arm, the shake making them all stumble slightly, Lightning wrapped her remaining arm around her shoulders, securing her to her side.

"This is gonna get rough!" Fang shouted above the roar of the wind, she was clinging to one of the crafts main support struts, Lightning saw that she already had Bahamut's crystal firmly in her hand. Perhaps she better do the same.

Reaching down into her uniforms pocket she pulled out the rose shaped crystal, making Odin just that little bit closer.

Before she had time to blink twice, the craft was soaring upwards at an almost out of control pace. The tip of its nose breaking through cloud and sunshine, propelling them back through to Cocoon. She had to shield her eyes from a last burst of harsh light before they had broken through. They were back on Cocoon, soaring upwards through darkness.

Sazh was battling with the planes controls, trying to get them levelled out, back into a more civilised position. It was obviously night, the view from the windows were very restricted.

When Sazh managed to get the craft righted again they all gasped in awe at the sight before them.

They were hovering right above Eden's famous race track, its bright lights beaming up like an artificial sun. Lightning glanced over at Vanille quickly, the reflection of the lights shining in her bright green eyes.

"Lets go!" she shouted to her friends, not taking her eyes off Vanille. Instead she just took the young redheads hand tightly, pulling her towards the planes door.

"So much for a quiet entrance!" Snow shouted, this was possibly the busiest place on Cocoon they could have landed, thousands of people would be gathered in the stands, ready for a fantastic race. Boy were they going to get a surprise.

"Come on Fang!" Vanille shouted, pulling the older woman forward with her free hand. She could see Snow and Hope gingerly running for the exit. Sazh was pressing a few last buttons before he too left the controls and joined the rest of the l'Cie.

This was it, Eden, the final leg of their journey was here. Lightning's heart thumped loudly in her chest, Serah was right around the corner, all they had to do was get to Orphan…

"Now!" she yelled, each one of their limbs lurching forward. She pushed off the plane quickly, still holding Vanille's hand as tight as she could. Everyone else did the same, jumping themselves clear of the craft, leaving it to its own devices. It would probably crash a few miles away, far from where they would be going.

"Odin!" Lightning yelled, she lurched the rose shaped stone before her, just as Fang did the same. They met in the middle, a well aimed shot designed to break both the crystals and call forth the Eidolons inside. They gave an almighty crack followed by a bright light, then the Eidolons shot from the middle, Bahamut and Odin.

Taking their places beside their masters the l'Cie settled into their Gestalt forms, Odin taking his usual persona as a horse and Bahamut growing wings, enabling him with the power of flight. Fang grabbed on just behind his neck, fixing herself to his back.

Vanille looked over, her green eyes watering from the air rushing past. Even though they were free falling, the world below still seemed like a small dot, the ground was still far from them. She could see the large forms of Alexander and Brynhildr, Snow was being aided by the Shiva Sisters, their usual form of a motorcycle ready to hit the floor and wheel spin off. He had a grin across his face, he too must have been thinking of Serah.

Lightning grabbed onto a piece of Odin's armour, pulling herself and Vanille onto the horses back. They landed with a thud and Vanille looped her hands around Lightning's waist quickly, burying her head against the soldiers back. She closed her eyes, a feeling of vertigo flowing through her.

"You alright?" Lightning shouted, looking behind her. They seemed to be falling faster now, the weight of the Eidolons weighing them down.

"Uh huh." Vanille said quietly thinking she might throw up if she said anymore, instead she nodded against the pink-haired woman's back. Lightning took that was a yes and looked back to the front.

"Here we go…" she said quickly. They fell the last few feet unbelievably quickly and Odin's hooves met the floor with an almighty crash, the impact making them both slip sideways he jumped forwards, instantly lurching into a gallop. Vanille yelped and tried to hang onto the galloping horse with her legs, slipping round more.

Lightning managed to get her balance back, despite Vanille's slipping weight dragging her sideways. She quickly reached round and grabbed the younger girls wrist, steadying her. Vanille nodded her thanks, her eyes wide with shock.

Odin was a fairly smooth ride once the l'Cie had got their balance back. In fact, it was almost as if his hooves skimmed the ground instead of meeting it. Vanille revelled in the fact she had never ridden a horse in her life, well, she had ridden a Chocobo, so she guessed they were the same. In fact, Odin was the comfier of the two, which was unsurprising really.

Everything after that seemed to pass in a bit of a blur. The race track suddenly came alive, she was aware of the commentary in the background, the tracks speaker yelling out to the crowd. She couldn't make out what the speaker was saying, she just heard a great cheer from the crowd as Snow stopped one of the riders from crashing onto the floor with the Shiva Sisters. The cheer was soon followed by a loud gasp as the camera hailed his l'Cie brand on the big screen TV.

After that chaos ensued.

Lightning drove Odin forward, he quickly made his way across the tarmac, weaving in and out of vehicles and fellow Eidolons. He jumped forward right as one of the flying velocycles hit into his front shoulders, sending a shockwave through them all. She jolted forward but was stopped by Lightning's back, the woman in front had perfect balance on the horse, not moving through the impact. Vanille shouted out as the bike came back for another attack, ready to ram against them again.

"Wait here!" Lightning yelled, she managed to get her feet under her on Odin's back, standing up she jumped over to the bike with athleticism, aiming a kick straight at its rider. Her feet hit their target, knocking him out the right hand side.

Vanille heard him yell as he fell towards the floor, after that her eyes went back to Lightning, Odin doing his own thing and carrying her gently forward.

"Claire!" she yelled out automatically. It was the first name that popped into her head. Lightning spun around just in time to see another bike aiming for her. She yelled out something that Vanille couldn't quite make out, jumping from her own bike to the other.

She landed badly, making Vanille raise her hands to her mouth in fear. Lightning hung onto one side, one foot dangling off the edge. She managed to get her balance back quickly, before the rider aimed a kick her way. Grabbing his foot she clung on, pulling him out the side.

Jumping inside the motorcycle she steered away quickly, just managing to avoid an explosion that Alexander had caused. She caught a quick glimpse of Hope, standing in front of him confidently, a bike almost running straight into the front of him.

The young boy smiled, holding his hand up to instruct Alexander, who in turn brought his hand down on the bike, crushing it to the pavement below. Lightning smiled at his bravery, he had come a long way.

She looked up in time to see three more riders coming her way. Growling she quickly yelled out for Odin,

Odin answered and jumped into the air, allowing for Lightning to grab round his neck. She swung herself round in a circle, the momentum taking her underneath the galloping horse and then out the other side, propelling herself onto his back, this time behind Vanille.

"Claire, are you alright?" Vanille said quickly turning around as the soldier grabbed round her waist. Lightning was panting, her muscles shaking from the effort, adrenaline running through her veins. She had never felt more alive, the thrill of excitement running through her.

"Never better!" she yelled. She squeezed Vanille's waist for reassurance.

Bahamut swooped down, just missing the top of their heads as Fang steered her way across. She smoothed out next to them, the beating of Bahamut's wings keeping perfect timing with Odin's hooves.

"Keep up!" she yelled happily, before swooping off towards where Sazh seemed to be having trouble. Bahamut swooped low, taking the three riders out with his sharp talons before they had time to reach the galloping horse. Lightning couldn't help but laugh at the older Pulsian's actions. They were all having fun.

Her eyes widened as she looked to the front, a barricade of riders waiting across the track.

"Odin quickly!" she yelled to her mount. Odin jumped upwards, quickly changing back to his true form, throwing Lightning and Vanille into the air, above the velocycles. Vanille screamed next to Lightning but the soldier gripped her tightly, hanging on and pulling her body close. She drew her gun blade in the other hand, ripping through the roof of one of the machines, killing its driver.

Odin swung his swords underneath them and a cascade of sparks flew upwards, they each turned away as the hot sparks shot across their bodies, Lightning shielding Vanille from their heat. Then the explosion happened, as the fuel tanks blew up filling the air with black smoke. Neither women could see where Odin was, yet Lightning trusted her Eidolon, knowing they would land back on the form of a horse.

They did, they both managed to land correctly, Lightning back in control, Vanille's arms back around her waist.

Lightning's hopes were lifted. The road ahead was clear, just a puff of smoke was in front of them and they were already galloping through it.

"We made it!" Vanille said happily, giggling behind Lightning. She buried her head into the older woman's shoulder. They had made it.

Lightning felt Vanille lean a little closer and smiled. That was quite an entrance, Cocoon wouldn't forget this one for a long time. She caught Brynhildr in the corner of her eye, followed by the rest of the Eidolons, she breathed a sigh of relief knowing everyone seemed unscathed.

She looked round at Vanille, catching her eyes with her own. Their green colour reflecting in the dark. The young l'Cie had a smile across her face, Lightning couldn't help but stare, her gaze captivating. As she looked on, the orange of the sun broke through the clouds, lighting everything up.

Vanille's eyes suddenly widened and she pointed forward in horror.

"Look out!" she yelled.

Lightning spun round just as Odin ground to a halt, his hind legs scraping at the ground, trying to stop his galloping hooves. He let out a high pitched call, rearing up he brandished his front legs wildly, trying to ward off the incoming monster.

A huge metal war machine landed with a thud on the racetrack, its form blocking out the incoming sun.

Lightning scowled, her look becoming one of concentration. She had seen these before with the army. It was an Anavatapta Warmech, a machine used for destruction. The army would send these in when a threat rose too high.

So they were the target now. She smirked, well that meant they were doing their job correctly.

The sanctum were running scared…

* * *

**A.N. **

**Well, an action packed chapter for you all, I thought I would change the race track scene to inhabit the story's current status, (having Vanille ride with Lightning etc.)**

**I hope you all enjoyed and thanks for reading! **


	28. Love's Sacrifice

**Heya Guys… **

**Well now then, there wasn't much of a reception on the last chapter was there? Typical, the last chapter was amongst my favourite to write! Well never mind I suppose… I'm still having fun writing it. **

**Although, thank you to the few people who did drop me a comment, much appreciated! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"Oh god, Vanille…!"

She was vaguely aware of someone talking, their voice seemed familiar, however the wave of pain that was coursing through her body was blocking out any signals as to who the speaker was. She wasn't quite sure why she hurt so much, her body felt like it was on fire, a coursing pain shooting through her from top to bottom.

Whoever was hovering over her seemed to be trying to fix that, and catching the odd word here and there she was beginning to piece a few things together.

She was fully aware that she was indeed laying on the ground. Had her eyes not been too fuzzy to focus, she would have noticed that she was still in the middle of battle. No_, they _should have been in the middle of battle.

Wasn't she on Odin? At least, she thought that was right…

They were on Cocoon, that much she knew. She could remember landing from the airship, and the mad dash through the people and soldiers across the racetrack. She was with Lightning, everything after that and her mind was blank.

She was fighting now, not that she had much strength left to fight with, against the person pinning her down. All she knew was she had to get upright, something didn't feel right. If she was on the ground, where was Lightning? She had been right there…

"Nille, can you hear me?" she caught the slight hint that it was Fang that was talking. She was the only one she knew that would abbreviate her name. She didn't answer, if she opened her mouth now, she would be screaming in pain. She didn't know what had happened, not yet. She closed her eyes tightly as another wave of pain shot through her chest, she caught the metallic smell of blood on the air. It must be her own.

"Hope, heal her quickly!" she heard another voice to the right, it seemed someone else was crouched near, they sounded like Sazh, and as her vision began to clear a little more she could just make out his silhouette. Who was he talking about? Lightning?

"Snow hold it off!" Fang yelled desperately over her shoulder.

Her heart skipped a beat in her ribcage. Wriggling against her restraints she attempted to sit up, it was completely to no avail however as a strong set of arms pushed her back down again. Followed by a harsh but reassuring voice.

"Don't move, lay still…" Fang whispered. It was only then that Vanille realised there was a blue light shooting from her hands. It wasn't just from Fang, it was coming from Sazh too. They must be trying to heal her for some reason.

"Where's…" she leant over quickly, her voice hitching. Rolling to one side she let a harsh cough engulf her body, her voice not wanting to allow her to speak.

"Don't try and talk…" Sazh sounded worried, what was going on?

"How's she doing?" Fang shouted quickly, Vanille looked in the same direction. She felt her heart speed up as she caught a glimpse of Lightning. She too was laid on the ground, seemingly immobile. Odin however, was nowhere in sight.

She attempted to sit up again, her limbs screaming in protest at the movement, Fangs magic not yet working on her wounds. This time however, she was ready for Fang's arms pushing her back down and she fought against them. Pushing them away meekly. She was no match for the older Pulsian's strength.

"Vanille, no.. lie still!" Fang said quickly, battling with the young girl.

She paid no attention. Managing to sit herself upright with a great deal of effort she pretended the world was indeed not spinning. The world didn't spin, it was just her eyes refusing to focus. She had to get to Lightning….

Fang allowed her to try and get up, through fear of hurting her more.

Her own hand shot to her stomach as she knelt forward, her fingers instantly coming into contact with blood, she knew it was blood. The sticky substance was warm and easily recognisable. She was completely unaware of how it got there, it didn't matter for the time being, she had to see if Lightning was safe.

Feeling Fang's arms close around her waist just made her wriggle faster, her stomach hurting more. She realised as she moved that it wasn't just her abdomen that was hurting, it was most of her limbs. They had survived the fall from an airship, a mad gallop across an overcrowded racetrack and one Cocoon weapon could cause all of this.

"Claire…" she murmured, the only word that her weakened vocal chords would allow. She couldn't push herself any further upright, her aching muscles just wouldn't allow it. She slumped backwards, her energy drained. Fang was instantly hovering over her, her hands aglow with energy.

"Vanille!" she couldn't even raise herself upwards at the sound of a new voice, it was all in her head, she didn't know how badly Lightning was hurt. All she knew was, Lightning was at the front, whatever had knocked them from the fighting horse had to go through her first. Then why did she feel so bad?

"Let… let me up!" the voice was louder now, it was her voice, Claire's. She had to try.

"Light, no don't move, stay down!" it seemed Hope was having no more luck with Lightning than Fang was with Vanille.

Vanille couldn't remember, everything was still fuzzy…

* * *

Up until that point, the battle had been going well…

Odin stood tall, his front hooves flailing skywards, mocking the rampaging Warmech in front of him. Lightning gripped the twin swords tightly, completely aware of Vanille's arms tightening around her.

"Hold on…" she whispered. She could faintly see the others behind her. They had all made it through the waves of people, through the soldiers and the riders yet they were so very far behind. They were going to have to do this one alone.

As the machine stumbled forward towards them, Odin's hooves landed back on solid earth, his feet ready to spring. All Lightning had to do was give the signal. It was the same ritual as usual, they had fought many a battle together over the past few weeks, why should this one be any different?

The Warmech's tail whipped round quickly, the spike on the end hitting the floor just on front of Odin's hooves. Lightning shouted out a battle cry, and Odin leapt forward. His hooves sent sparks out from the floor, skidding for a split second before finding the grip that they needed and propelling him forward. Lightning looked for an open opportunity, for a window where the machine's defences were weakened.

This was it.

Odin galloped with speed, covering the space between them quickly. He jumped at the last second, lurching both his riders into the air. Lightning gripped the swords tightly, raising them above her head she spun them in a circle, bringing them down to strike at the last minute, just as Odin got to maximum height.

The swords clanged as they hit metal, Lightning felt the force push her backwards, against Vanille, who in turn had to grip tighter to stay on. She gave a small yell of surprise, usually Lightning wouldn't be moved by such force, yet the armour on the Warmech was thick, not even Odin's swords dented its surface.

Lightning gritted her teeth as the impact sent waves of pain through her arms, her direct attack failing. Odin stretched his legs out, preparing to land and turn around for another go. Unfortunately, the Warmech chose the same time to raise its tail, which until this second had still resided on the floor.

It wrapped the horse around the knees, metal alloy connecting with Odin's armour with a harsh clang. Sparks flew upwards through the impact and Lightning felt him lurch beneath her knees. Before she knew what was happening, they were plummeting to the ground, completely at the wrong angle to land correctly. She yelled out, instantly letting go of the twin swords, in a reflex she held her hands out towards the ground, hoping to catch any impact that a fall from such a height might cause.

Before she hit the ground, she was aware of Vanille's arms losing their contact as the young girl was knocked off balance too. She didn't have time to ponder as Odin hit the floor underneath her, his limbs crumpling forward and somersaulting them both, until she was free of his back. She hit the ground hard, a wave of pain shooting up one arm and through her shoulder.

She was somersaulting too, over and over on the tarmac, the world a blur of colours.

Vanille screamed out as she landed, the ground cruelly solid underneath her body. It all happened so fast, she didn't have time to think.

Lightning lay dazed for a split second, her own voice ringing in her ears.

'Get up…'

She groaned involuntarily, her body not willing to comply with her thoughts. Rolling over she looked skywards, the shadow looming above her reminding her why she was down in the first place.

'You have to get up…' her words were echoing louder now, forcing herself upright she attempted to get her shaking legs underneath her, what seemed like minutes was really a few seconds. When her feet finally complied, she raised herself off the ground completely, pulling her gun blade from its holster. Looking around her eyes quickly fell upon Vanille.

"Vanille…"she whispered, forcing her feet forwards at a pace she didn't know if she could handle. She tripped forwards once, pain lurching through her arm. It was a good thing she held her sword in the other. She regained her balance with some difficulty and rushed forward.

Reaching the young redhead she quickly scanned her over, her eyes darting across her small body for any signs of injuries. She looked about as well off as Lightning herself so she attempted to drag her to her feet.

"I.. .I'm okay.." Vanille's voice also sounded dazed, but strong enough for the time being. The young girl took Lightning's invitation and raised herself up, her limbs aching but not particularly hurting.

"Look out!" she yelled quickly, pushing the soldier backwards. A rain of large bullets hit the ground where they had been just moments before. Vanille landed on top of the soldier, pinning her to the floor. Lightning groaned as her shoulder hit the floor, increasing the discomfort.

"We have to move" Lightning whispered, pulling herself and Vanille off the ground. She looked around desperately for help, surely the others would be close enough? Her heart jumped when she realised they weren't. She looked over at Odin, he was no longer a horse. In fact, he wasn't there at all. A little pink crystal was left in the shape of a rose.

They were alone.

"Get back!" Lightning growled, pushing Vanille backwards. She raised her gun blade in anger, her legs feeling stronger, adrenaline coursing through her body. Perhaps a strong attack, hitting all the right places would bring it to its knees.

She had to try.

Running forward she ignored the pain shooting through her, gritting her teeth she just used it to fuel her forwards. Turning it to anger, a well aimed Army of One should do the trick, she just needed to find its weak spot.

She jumped upwards, her rubber soled boots gripping the metal alloy tightly. She jumped from point to point until she was level with its head, the place where all it's wires met. She had seen these made, back with the army, their armour was stronger near the main circuits. If she could just find a gap somewhere…

She raised her blade to attack, stabbing it forwards recklessly. It rebounded, flying from her hands quickly. At the same time the Mech turned around, its armour connecting with the side of her body.

For the second time, she hit the ground hard. This time however she was ready, landing roughly on her feet she managed a half graceful roll forwards, taking the impact off her legs and evening it out through her. She ended up on her knees, her skin scraping against the floor, igniting a stinging sensation.

"Claire!" she heard Vanille yell from behind her, this was hopeless, they had to get out of the way and wait for the others.

Vanille was running now, her feet pounding the ground towards the pink -haired soldier desperately. Lightning turned back around just in time to see the Mech's tail come whipping back around. She got her feet underneath her, but stumbled forwards, taking her back into the same position. Her senses were lost as a wave of panic shot through her. Was this the end?

She closed her eyes tightly, a very un-Lightning thing to do, she couldn't help it. If it was all going to end here, she couldn't watch. There was no time, not to move, not to think.

"Claire NO!" Vanille shot forwards towards her, and Lightning was horrifically aware of the fact that the young girl had just put herself in-between her and the spiked tail descending upon them.

"Vanille!" her voice was lost in her own scream.

The spikes landed across Vanille's body in slow motion. Lightning could do nothing, Vanille had willingly just put her own life on the line. The impact took them both backwards, the hit harder across Vanille's body being directly in the way.

The last thing that Lightning could recall was Bahamut swooping down, pushing the Warmech off them and flinging them further apart. She was aware of a shooting pain across her arm as a rogue spike scored her skin.

Then she hit the floor, a distance from where Vanille lay, and her world faded into black…

* * *

"Vanille!" she pushed her way forward, sending Hope roughly out of the way. He was stood in her path, trying to help she knew but she just couldn't think about that right now.

Her feet carried her like a zombie, completely unaware of their surroundings. The world was a blur, she could see Snow out of the corner of her eye, him and the Shiva Sisters trying to desperately hold the Warmech back. Other than that, she could have been anywhere, Cocoon, Pulse, it didn't matter. All that mattered to her was the young girl laying on the floor.

She could see the crimson liquid before she had even gotten close. Her heart pounded in her chest, increasing in tempo with every step.

"Vanille!" she half shouted, ignoring the pain running through her, it was nothing compared to the agony in her heart. She went as fast as she could, skidding to the floor next to Fang and instantly taking up Vanille's hand.

It was surprisingly cold…

Vanille's eyes were open, and Lightning's heart fluttered with hope, fading quickly at the sight of them wavering shut.

"No, stay awake, you have to stay awake!" she heard herself saying desperately. Her voice didn't sound like her own, she was just an onlooker. Someone who couldn't stop any of this from happening.

"Light, take it easy, your hurt too!" Fang said quickly, her attentions flitting to the older woman.

"I don't care, we have to heal her… Hope!" she yelled, turning around and looking for the young boy. He had gone in the other direction, desperately trying to help Snow by blocking the way with Alexander.

Lightning gripped Vanille's hand tightly and tried to think of some magic that might help, anything that might help the healing process. It was no use, the thoughts just wouldn't come.

Fang had her hands pressed against Vanille's stomach desperately, the young l'Cie's blood flowing through her fingers. Lightning could see several lacerations across her abdomen, one through her shoulder and another down her arm.

She had taken the force of the attack, and Lightning had caught a mere glancing blow.

She couldn't help but feel the sting of tears behind her eyes, tears of panic, of sheer emotion that she just couldn't shift.

Vanille squeezed her hand lightly, with the last remaining strength that she could muster. Letting a smile grace her pale lips. She could feel her eyelids willing to close. Now that Claire was by her side, she could let them… She just wanted to sleep…

"Vanille, you have to fight it!" Lightning said desperately, willing Fang's magic to work, Sazh was fighting too, his own skin gathering a light layer of perspiration through sheer concentration and effort.

"You have to stay with me… I love you Vanille, you hear me?," Lightning shook her lightly, willing her to open her eyes again.

"I can't do this alone, not without you…" her voice was shaking now, tears free flowing, she didn't care who saw. Her muscles were shaking too, with unshed emotion threatening to break free.

"Come on damnit…" Fang's voice was focused, all her energy flowing out through her hands. The bleeding wasn't slowing, their combined magic wasn't strong enough…

Vanille's grip loosened on Lightning's hand, her fingers releasing their pressure and relaxing. Lightning's heart skipped a beat, a horrible feeling crossed her chest, suffocating her completely. They had battled monsters, big and small. They had fought the tiniest of creatures and battled powerful fal'Cie. They had survived rock falls, cave-ins and situations that no living thing should be able to endure. Yet one Cocoon Warmech had done all this damage, it didn't seem right… it wasn't right…

Lightning couldn't think, she couldn't breathe. Her head was buzzing, thoughts and emotions swirling around together. She felt like throwing up, like screaming out yet no words would come, only tears replaced them.

The young girl before her was dying… and Lightning was completely helpless…

* * *

**A.N… **

**:O I am leaving you with….. You guessed it! A cliff-hanger! **

**Sighs, well, I think it was the best way to end this chapter, all guns blazing and all. ****So please, no killing me for this one yeah? I shall try not to make it too long before I update, I don't want to leave you hanging too long : )**

**Thanks for reading!**


	29. For Her

**Hi Guys! **

**Thank you for all your kind comments on the last chapter! I admit, it was one of my favourites to write, although I do apologise that I left you with a cliff-hanger… hehe, yeah sorry! Although I did live up to my promise and I am updating faster : ) **

**I shall also be updating **_**Because You're Here **_**at the same time, just to keep you all entertained! And for everyone that hasn't stopped by my profile recently I am currently working on a new story, as a Christmas present to you all. **

**The full summary can be found on my profile so if you want a sneak peek then take a look : ) **

**On with the story! **

**Enjoy! **

**XX**

* * *

The teardrop was beautiful, usually as she held it up to the light the small crystal would catch a ray of sunlight and shine with a multicoloured magic that could only be given by her sister. It was the promise of everything, of what they had been through, of what was to come. Serah had cried out her last wish, that they drive forward and save Cocoon, that they find their own way to save her and to save themselves. This time however, all that caught her eyes behind the little blue tear was dark clouds, bringing with them thunder and lightning.

Her own words crossed her mind quickly.

_It flashes bright, then fades away. It can't protect, it only destroys…_

"It can't protect…" she whispered quietly.

She closed her hand around the little crystal as the first raindrop fell, cold against her skin. Squeezing it tightly she recalled what the teardrop meant to her. It was a promise of their survival, Serah's way of keeping them on the right path and if they should ever waver, all they had to do was look at the tiny crystal and the path would become clear. Their hearts would see them right.

Yet her heart felt like it had been ripped down the middle.

Lightning tore her eyes from the teardrop reluctantly, when she was looking through it, she could forget the here and now. She could forget where she was, what had happened. Looking back to the real world her heart felt empty, void of emotion. Everything was playing back through her head like a record. She willed the images to stop, but they just wouldn't.

Her pale face, the destruction, _the blood…_

She could still smell it, smell the horrible iron aroma of the crimson liquid as it had seeped through her fingers. She looked down at her shaking hands quickly, their pale colour still tinted red as she hadn't had time to wash them off, nor the willpower to do so. She could still feel the force of the bleeding, rushing against her hands, reminding her how bad it had been. The rain began to smudge them as it fell down harder, water mixing with the blood and trying to wash her hands clean. She dropped them from her sight violently.

They would never be clean.

She shook her head angrily, tears splashing down her cheeks. Why did everything have to be so difficult? Couldn't life just give them a break, for once?

They were on Cocoon, her home, yet everything felt alien to her. The world was just a little less bright. She was aware of a dull ache running through her body, the aftermath of the last fight still upon her. Her body was injured, but she knew that would heal. Her mind however, would take a little more time.

Hope had offered to clear her wounds up with a spell, magic that had seemed useless in the last situation and she had refused his offer with a simple wave of her hand. She could hurt, it might just keep her sane.

She curled her free hand into a fist quickly, her limbs shaking. She knew she should be using the anger, driving her way forward. But how could she? How could she possibly leave everything that had happened behind? It wasn't right…

Her willpower should still be going, she had so much to try and fight for, to save. Yet what lay behind her wouldn't release its grip, she knew even if she could move on, if she could find some will to continue. She never would… not without her…

"Lightning?" the voice that sounded from behind her didn't even make her look up, she just kept a constant gaze ahead, not wanting to see anyone right now.

"Light, listen…" Fang's voice was soft, perhaps more than the soldier had ever heard. The concern in her tone was very evident, however it couldn't mask the sadness that also resided.

"None of this…" Fang took a deep breath, holding back the tears herself. "Was your fault" Fang needed the soldier to see this, for Vanille's sake. Lightning didn't answer straight away, yet she felt her limbs shake harder. Anger coursing through her.

"None of it?" she finally growled, her voice low and harsh. Fang took a quick step back, surprised at how the soldier spoke.

"How can you say that? All of this is my fault, I should have turned her away the minute she set eyes on me!" Lightning turned to face Fang angrily, her emotion wasn't directed at the young woman though, it was completely centred around herself. Her own self loathing.

"I never should have dragged any of you into this, not you, not Hope, Sazh or even Snow… but Vanille…"

"We knew what the risks were…" Fang said reluctantly, her long dark hair plastered to her face with the rain water. Tears had resided down her face too, it was easy for an onlooker to see that she had also been crying. Something, that for the Huntress was a rarity.

"We all knew what might happen, even Vanille…." she took a deep breath, her voice mellowing to almost a whisper.

"She wouldn't have missed it, not for anything. She fell for you, and I understand why…"

"She should've stayed away…" the pink-haired soldier met Fang's eyes blank of emotion. She was trying to will that statement to be true yet no matter how she looked at things she knew she wouldn't have done anything differently.

"Listen to me, you can stay here, in anger and self pity" Fang raised her voice to get her point across.

"Or you can go and be with her… she needs that right now Light, she needs _you_" she emphasised the last word quickly, sadness in her own voice. Lightning stared for a moment, wondering what argument to pitch next. Then the words hit home and she realised that Fang was right, Vanille needed her just as much as she needed the young girl. She just hated seeing her so… weak.

She gave a silent nod in Fang's direction, voicing her thanks without the need for words, and Fang understood, without saying anything back. She simply walked forward and placed her hand on the other woman's shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze.

Lightning didn't know what to do next, Fang had saved Vanille's life, her magic growing stronger as despair had set into them all. It was just enough to heal some of the damage, but not all. Vanille would take time to heal, time that none of them had to give. Lightning closed the gap between them and pulled the Pulsian into a hug, something that seemingly caught Fang off guard as she stumbled backwards in surprise. It wasn't a compassionate hug, more of a thank you.

It didn't take long for the embrace to be returned, somewhat awkwardly. Fang smiled at the soldiers actions, she really wasn't as tough as everyone thought, it was just an act that she put on to keep everyone's spirits up. To keep them fighting. Her secret was safe for the time being…

"Ya know? Vanille must be rubbing off on you…" the Pulsian whispered, a light hearted tone in her voice. They needed to find some way to keep their spirits up, through all of the bad things they had to keep on going, find a driving force.

"I think you might be right…" Lightning whispered back, she pulled back from the hug carefully, allowing her own expression to get across.

"Thanks Fang… I"

"Save it" Fang cut her off short, the soldier had no need to apologise, not to any of them. Lightning had sacrificed more than anyone and took none of the credit, whether she wanted to admit it or not, the pink haired soldier was the reason that they were all still alive.

"Go, she's asking for you…" Fang whispered. Lightning replied with a simple nod, brushing her wet hair from her eyes she walked away from the young woman in front of her, with her heart a little lighter. She left the Pulsian out in the rain, with her own thoughts to mull over. This journey had been tough on them all.

And she knew it was not yet over…

* * *

"Give us a minute" Lightning whispered to Hope. The young boy had his back pressed up against the wooden doorframe. His arms were crossed over his chest and a worried expression graced his pale face. He had been watching over Vanille for a few hours. Mostly she would just wake and mumble a few words before falling back to sleep, it was perhaps the best thing, her body was still pretty beaten up from the fight. Fang had managed to heal her most of the way, now it was just up to her to do the rest.

He looked over to where she was sleeping, he could see the bright white bandages lacing her body, keeping pressure on the wounds that were not yet healed properly. He sighed, the worst wasn't over yet.

The room that she was in was small, yet at least they were out of the rain. They had stumbled across the small residence shortly after leaving the racetrack. It was seemingly abandoned, dust and furniture lay everywhere and there was no running water, just to be a hindrance. It looked like it hadn't seen signs of life for many years. Yet it was a perfect place for them to hide out. They were basically on Eden's door, far enough from anywhere else to be discovered and close enough to carry on when they could. It was all just a matter of waiting.

He looked over to Lightning with a sigh, she looked as bad as he felt, physically anyway. Mentally, she looked more drained. The events of the past few days weighing heavy on her.

"Of course" he whispered, sliding carefully from the room and giving the two women some space.

Lightning squeezed his shoulder as he passed, whispering her thanks for everything the young boy had done. Then she took a deep breath, preparing herself for the sight that lay in front of her. As she stepped into the room she instantly lay eyes on the bright white bandages, something Hope and Fang had done, it reminded her of her own wound back on Pulse and how Hope had cared for her then. He really didn't get enough credit.

As she moved closed she was aware of the feeling of guilt creeping back, one that she was trying desperately to suppress. It was a fight that she was losing quickly. The room was dark and dingy, wallpaper flaked off the walls in patches and the carpet looked well worn and overused, it was far from the cheeriness of her own home, far from the welcome colours and warmth. One that she only hoped she could see again. She shuddered, it didn't seem like a nice place to be.

"Claire?" a small voice rung in her ears like music, one that just a few hours ago, she was scared she would never hear again. It was just by a mere miracle, of sheer willpower on Fang's behalf, that she was breathing at all. Lightning had cursed herself over and over for being too weak to perform healing magic. No matter how hard she had concentrated on healing, the power just wouldn't flow. She had been too scared of losing her…

"Claire.. You came.." Vanille's voice was weak, it was barely more than a whisper and Lightning had to focus on every word just to make them out.

"Of course I did" she whispered, pulling the chair up from next to the bed and sitting down. It was wooden and hard, but she ignored that and took up the young girls hand lightly. It was still horrifically cold, but perhaps not as bad as it had been before.

"Where did you go?" the young girl managed to whisper, her voice hoarse. It was evident by the way she spoke that she was trying to put on a brave face. It was obvious that she was still in a great amount of pain. She was laid slightly to one side, trying to keep her weight off her right shoulder, the Warmech's spiked tail had almost gone clean through it.

Vanille still didn't quite know what had happened, things were still a little blurry. She could only remember little pieces, put together little details. She didn't want to know, not for now anyway, she was sure someone would fill her in on the details later.

Lightning could see a small amount of blood seeping through her bandages, a miniscule amount compared to what had flowed down on the racetrack. Her skin was still a deathly shade of white yet the young girl managed a smile, like she always did.

"I had some things to think about…" Lightning said carefully, her own words distant.

"It wasn't…" Lightning already knew what Vanille was going to say, the same as Fang. She was going to tell her that it wasn't her fault, that she could have stopped none of this. Even though the young girl was right, and Lightning knew it, she still couldn't shake the feeling that she could have done something more.

"I almost lost you back there…" she whispered, her voice hitching in her throat. The lump that she was trying to swallow preventing her from talking straight.

"But you didn't…" Vanille replied, her bright green eyes meeting Lightning's. She smiled again through the pain, the only thing that she could offer the tired looking soldier.

"But I could have, I, I nearly did… I don't know what I would've…"

"Claire, listen…" the young l'Cie's voice was even quieter now, she was fighting the will to sleep desperately, Lightning had to see sense first.

"You didn't lose me, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, I promise" she finished strongly emphasising the last few words as much as her vocals would allow. She squeezed Lightning's hand a little bit tighter, reassurance flowing from one to the other.

Lightning didn't answer, instead she reached up and brushed the young girls red hair from her face, her hand resting lightly on her cheek. She felt her own tears well up again, threatening to cascade. She couldn't help but let a feeling of relief wash over her, Vanille was alive, something that had seemed impossible. When she had closed her eyes on the racetrack, Lightning thought it had been for good…

She could see the young girl fighting her battle to stay awake, she needed to rest, to heal.

"Will you stay?" Vanille asked quietly, concern in her voice, she didn't want to be alone.

Lightning wasn't going anywhere. Instead she nodded, leaning forwards she placed a soft kiss on the top of the redheads forehead.

"I'm not going anywhere, I'll be here when you wake up…" she said gently, pulling back and re-taking her hand.

"Claire?" Vanille whispered, her eyes finally weighing heavy and beginning to close. She could sleep easier now, the pain wasn't so harsh when Lightning was there, it made everything just a little bit better. She quickly fought with her eyelids, forcing them open again. She had one more thing to say.

"Yeah?" Lightning replied, letting a small smile cross her lips at the younger girls words, Vanille really did like using her real name and Lightning didn't mind in the slightest.

"I love you…" she whispered, her eyes closing before Lightning could even voice an answer. Lightning knew that she had instantly fallen asleep, her tired body needing the rest.

Lightning smiled down at the young girl carefully, she squeezed her hand a little bit tighter and hung on, not willing to let go again. It was her turn to protect Vanille, the young girl had jumped in front of Lightning without a second thought and Lightning knew that it had been a simple reflex, something that was done out of love.

It was her turn now, until her heart stopped beating.

Crossing her arms on the bed in front of her she rested her head on top, allowing her own eyes to close. She would stay here, for as long as Vanille needed to recover, she would never leave her side again, no matter what. Before she allowed herself to drift into slumber she glanced one last time over to the young l'Cie. One she knew had woven a spell over her own heart.

There was only one more thing left to say…

"I love you too… more than you know…"

* * *

**A.N**

**: ) Oh come on, you didn't really think I would kill her off? *Smiles wickedly* where would be the fun in that? Well, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and don't forget to leave a review : ) They are much appreciated ! **

**I'm keeping busy really because I am also writing a piece of original fiction which can be found on , so bear with me for the next update! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	30. Becoming Reckless

**Hey there guys, **

**I'm back with the next chapter! I hope everyone had a great Christmas? I did promise that I would post another chapter to this story before new year, something I am keeping! Once again thank you all for your kind words and reviews, it means a lot. **

**Without further ado, here is the next chapter. Enjoy! **

**XX**

* * *

"Hope?" Lightning burst through the doors to their make-shift shelter with force, making the hinges creak out in protest. Snow jumped in surprise, turning around. He was impressed that the door was indeed still standing.

She scanned the room quickly, her baby-blues looking around the faces of her friends quickly, seeking the one she wanted.

"What's up Sis?" Snow said quickly, almost scared to ask. Now that she mentioned it, he hadn't seen the young boy for some time.

Lightning's eyes darted to the bed, her line of sight crossing over Vanille's features carefully. This time, it was Fang that resided at her bedside, refusing to let her up, however through all the commotion she had managed to sit herself vertical. Much to Fang's annoyance.

"Has anyone seen Hope?" Lightning asked, turning to Sazh, who in turn shook his head. Snow looked completely clueless and Fang shrugged her shoulders, putting on her best 'I don't care' look.

"Hmph…" Lightning sighed, she hadn't seen the young boy all morning, and this was a dangerous place to be out on your own.

"Oh, wait…" Vanille whispered, her voice still a little shaky. In herself, she was feeling much better. Even though it had only been a few days, the magic that her companions had pumped into her seemed to be doing the trick. Her shoulder was just giving off a sort of dull ache, not a pain she would have associated with being impaled.

"What?" Lightning spoke with compassion, walking forward she joined Fang and gently sat on the edge of the bed, not wanting to move the young girl too much.

"Its okay, I wont break…" Vanille giggled, gesturing her to sit a little closer. Lightning complied, shuffling a little nearer to the young redhead. She didn't initiate contact, she was still to afraid of hurting her. This made Vanille giggle a little more, Fang frowned and looked away.

Snow cleared his voice quickly, getting back to the task at hand.

"Have you seen him Vanille? I've got to say, I don't think he was here earlier…."

"I think, he murmured something about getting supplies?" Vanille answered, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"He didn't say where?" Fang said quickly, her heart jumping. "Don't tell me he was headed into Eden?"

"That's ridiculous, Eden's too dangerous for us all together, let alone Hope by himself. The place is crawling with Sanctum soldiers." Lightning stated, her mind wondering whether Hope would have done such a thing, even she wouldn't go by herself willingly. She jumped slightly as she felt a slight weight on her own hand. She relaxed as she realised it was just Vanille's on top of hers. She turned to the younger l'Cie. Seeing a smile on her face filled her with a little more confidence. Giving her a little calming feeling. Her heartbeat slowing from her mad dash through the door.

"It will be okay, I'm sure Hope's got more sense than that…" Vanille said softly, forgetting that the room was full of other people, she was just focused on the pink-haired soldier in front of her.

"I'm going to go have a look round, see if I can see him…" Lightning replied, taking a brief look at her other companions. She felt like something wasn't quite right, and if she had learned anything through all the hardships it was to trust her own gut feeling. It was usually right.

"Snow?" she said quickly, it was her invitation for him to help. He shook his head quickly and gave her a goofy smile. Walking to the edge of the bed he gently reached out and ruffled Vanille's hair, earning him a quick swipe from the younger girl. He laughed at her reaction, pulling his hand away in defeat. Lightning gave him her best 'be careful!' gaze, scowling slightly.

"Nah, I'll stay with the kid…" he stated goofily, winking at Vanille, who in turn, pouted and put on an annoyed face.

"The kid? Seriously, I'm nearly five-hundred years older than you…" she laughed, forgetting for a moment that her side still hurt. Stopping abruptly, she clutched her ribs quickly, easing the motion a little. Lightning instantly twitched to help, a look of worry on her face.

"It's fine, I'm fine…" Vanille said quickly. She hated everyone else having to look out for her.

"Yeah Light, dating the older woman are we?" Snow laughed, heightening everyone's spirits again. Sazh suppressed a laugh at the comment, knowing full well that it would probably earn him a right-hook from Lightning. Instead Lightning just felt herself blush and turned away, her face aglow. It was the first time that anyone had actually said the word 'dating' about her and Vanille.

Sensing the discomfort in the air Fang stood up, giving Vanille one last stroke across the head, she had to admit, the young girl was looking a little better than she had.

Perhaps it was time to get serious, they still had a party member missing, very well the weakest one of them all. Hell, she even thought Vanille could take better care of herself than Hope could. It was typical really, since he was always the one trying to prove himself and getting them all into trouble.

"I guess it's you and me then sunshine…" Fang sighed, grabbing her lance from the table, she swung it onto her back, strapping it in place. Lightning stumbled for a minute, looking at Fang with a confused expression. The huntress wanted to go with her? She was surprised, she hadn't left Vanille much over the past few days.

"You sure?" she said quickly, glancing back to Vanille who, in turn, gave her a nod of confirmation.

"Yeah, let's get moving…" she replied with a smile, she had sat still for too long recently. "Besides, I'm sure these two can keep and eye on Nille here, right?" she glared at the two men, slightly sceptical.

"Course we can!" Snow said quickly, it wasn't like him to sit out of a fight, however he really didn't feel like going out at the moment, besides he would probably be the best Sentinel to use if any soldiers did happen to come by.

Fang rolled her eyes, he better hope so. Or there would be her and Lightning to deal with…

"Be careful…" Vanille whispered to both women. The two people she cared about most, she couldn't choose between them if she wanted to. She loved them both the same, with Lightning it was a different kind of feeling than the one towards Fang. Fang was family, and she always would be. But Lightning… Lightning was different… she was just special in a way Vanille couldn't describe.

She hated that she couldn't help them.

"We will…" Both women stated at the same time, glancing sheepishly at each other. Vanille rolled her eyes, yeah right. The both of them weren't exactly subtle. She could just imagine the arguments now…

Lightning squeezed Vanille's hand a little tighter, returning her attentions to her briefly.

"You going to be okay?" she asked, her voice low. Ever since what happened, Lightning swore to never let it happen again.

"I'm sure, you need to stop worrying. Besides, I've got the men here to protect me." she winked in Snow's direction, giving Lightning no confidence what so ever.

"That's what I'm worried about…" she said quickly, earning her a quick push forward from Vanille.

"Go, I'm fine.."

"Yeah come on, I thought you were worried about the kid?" Fang tapped her foot impatiently. Leaning against the same door frame that Lightning had nearly kicked off.

"Alright alright, I'm coming." she said, annoyed.

She swore, if Hope had done something stupid…

* * *

Hope, had indeed, not thought this through…

Peering out from behind the nearest bench he scanned the street quickly. There were people out looking for him, that he knew. If he could just sneak past the soldiers he would be fine, the civilians didn't seem to unsettled by his prescience. Perhaps not all of them watched the broadcast from the racetrack.

Standing up gingerly, he knew he had to be quick. It wouldn't be long before someone recognised him. He knew that the PSICOM soldiers would have his face imprinted on their memory. If only Snow had been smart enough to cover up his brand when they landed… perhaps they wouldn't have been recognised…

He just needed enough time to get to somewhere with medical supplies. Having so many wounds on the team recently had drained their supply of bandages, plus, there was nothing to hunt here so any food would be of help. He figured, being the smallest one of the group, he would perhaps be able to slip by unnoticed.

Well, at least it had stopped raining. That was a plus…

He was also pleasantly surprised at the lack of people milling around in Eden, being the capital he thought the streets would be busy. Maybe the world was still on l'Cie alert, unaware that there was one here, among them.

Sneaking forward he straightened up, trying to walk normally as a lone person walked past. Scanning the fronts of the nearby shops he tried to look like a tourist, making his actions less suspicious. The older man walked past without a fuss and he breathed a sigh. Walking with a little more confidence he spotted a sign to his right, squinting to read its green and white writing his heart jumped with excitement. He had done it, they should be able to get everything they needed here.

He was happy that he at least had the sense to hang onto some money. Jingling it about between his fingers he started forward eagerly, hoping that the person behind the counter was as clueless of l'Cie as the rest of Eden's population.

However, before he could take another step forward, a strong pair of arms looped themselves around both of his roughly. He heard a man's voice speak before being harshly pulled backwards, into a death like grip against the persons chest.

"Let me go!" he shouted quickly, suddenly afraid. His own heartbeat thumping in his chest, he wriggled against the grip, trying desperately to get free.

He glanced sideways, eyeing the reflection of the man in a nearby window. He caught a glimpse of a black mask and instantly knew that it was a Sanctum soldier that had hold of him. He didn't even hear him sneak up.

He fought again, kicking out with his feet to try and get the soldier in the shins or anywhere else he could possibly make contact with. The man just held him more roughly. Well, Hope wasn't going to make it easy for him. The soldier put one arm around Hope's throat, pushing down so his windpipe was obstructed. Hope choked slightly before adjusting and carrying on with his desperate struggle.

"Hold still, filthy l'Cie…" the man shouted, attracting the attention of a few pedestrians. He put his hand to his mouth and whistled and Hope's stomach did a back flip. He was calling for reinforcements. Reaching down, Hope stretched his hand down to his pocket trying to desperately to reach his Eidolon crystal. If he could summon Alexander, he could get free. It would draw a lot of attention and he would have to be quick… but if he could just reach it…

Lightning would have known what to do…

He shook his head, cursing his own weakness. Snapping himself out of it, he had one last ditch attempt, as the soldier brought his leg forward to keep his balance, Hope kicked out savagely, his foot connecting with the soldiers knee-cap.

That was the opportunity he needed, raising his arms quickly he off-balanced the soldier, freeing enough for him to grab the crystal from his pocket. Throwing it forward quickly, he suppressed a smile of satisfaction as the tiny rock hit the ground, shattering and emitting a bright light.

The soldier took a step backwards, away from the growing form of Alexander. Dropping his arms to his side he released Hope quickly, pulling away as if he had been burned. Even if he wanted to, one soldier didn't stand a chance against the Eidolon.

However, straightening up, Hope looked in horror at the group of soldiers running towards him, the reinforcements had arrived, and he was in trouble.

"Alexander! Cut them off!" he yelled, it was perhaps the perfect time to get out of there, supplies or no supplies. If he could just get back to the others, Lightning and Snow would know what to do. He didn't stop to think that leading the soldiers that way would be a bad thing, he just set off running in a mad panic. At least he dint have too far to go, he had made sure he stayed on the outskirts of the city, just in case. Perhaps he hadn't wholeheartedly thought this through…

And that was a very bad thing…

* * *

"So Light, what's the plan from here? I mean, the kids right, we can't stay forever without supplies and all…" Fang asked the pink-haired soldier. They were walking quite sedately, the small shack that they had taken refuge in wasn't far behind, it didn't take Fang long to pick up the conversation.

"Uh, I'm not really sure…" Lightning looked at her with honesty, she really didn't have a clue as of what to do, it was unlike her to be stuck without a plan but with Vanille injured, it had really thrown her off balance.

"It's a problem alright…" Fang whispered, she reverted her eyes skyward, taking in Cocoon for the first time. Even though she had been on this planet before, now it seemed different somehow. Perhaps living here wouldn't be so bad. At least she had familiar people by her side.

"Hope?" Lightning whispered, holding out a hand she stopped Fang in her tracks. Fang dropped her gaze back to the ground, scanning around for whatever it was Lightning had seen. Squinting her eyes, she could just make out the form of someone running, judging by how fast they were going and how they were running straight at the small house, it must have been Hope.

"What's he running from?" Lightning whispered, drawing her blade quickly. Fang next to her doing the same, well at least the conversation had been cut off.

Both women flinched backwards as they looked behind the fleeing boy.

"Erm, I think we had better go?" Fang whispered, her voice quiet. From what she could see, Hope was bringing the whole of Eden with him.

"Tsk, there soldiers…" Lightning said abruptly, "There must be dozens of them… and he's leading them right to us!" she growled the last part, narrowing her eyes quickly. She thought he had more sense, then again, he must be scared. Either way, putting them in direct danger, especially after learning so much from her, and the state Vanille was in was a reckless thing to do. She made her legs act quickly, running forward towards the young boy. Fang keeping pace.

As he came further into view, he looked over his shoulder nervously, he had the upper hand, running in armour was perhaps not so easy. Instead he forced his feet faster, running right up to the two women who had met him in the middle. He rested his hands on his knees, panting.

"Hope, what were you thinking?" Lightning scolded, her voice low. He had put them all in danger, there was nowhere to run. It was either Eden or back out into the wilderness, neither would have been her first choice. They couldn't go into the city, not now, Vanille wasn't strong enough to fight. Besides, even if she was by there side, how could they kill a small army?

"We have to warn the others, come on." Fang shouted impatiently, they had only a minute or so before the soldiers were upon them.

"Perhaps we should have this discussion later?" she added, looking to Lightning and Hope. The poor boy had meant well, she knew. Yet he had done perhaps the worst possible thing, the whole of Cocoon wanted them dead, and he had presented them with a perfect opportunity…

* * *

"So, I wonder what Serah will say to you and Lightning?" Snow joked quickly, looking over at Vanille with wonder, somehow he thought that Serah would approve to their situation. It was unlike Lightning to be happy, so finding someone that made her just that had to be a good thing…

"Erm.." Vanille blushed slightly, she hadn't given this much thought. With everything that had gone on recently, she hadn't had time to think about what would happen if they even managed to get to Orphan and beyond.

"Relax, she just wants her sister to be happy…" Snow laughed, reaching around to scratch the top of his head, Sazh was listening silently. He rolled his eyes, the last thing that he wanted was for romance to become involved. However, it was nice seeing Lightning to cheer up a little. Now she at least had something else to fight for. Seeing them together, reminded him of what it was all about, freeing someone that you cared about…

"You think she'll like me?" Vanille asked quietly, slightly worried.

"She liked you the first time didn't she?" Snow added, pointing to her leg, "When she helped you the first time. Serah's like that, she never thinks about herself, always someone else. That's one of the things I love about her…"

"So what's you're plan? When we save her I mean?" Vanille asked, it had been a long time since she had spoken properly to Snow, they caught the odd word here and there, but nothing that resembled a conversation.

"Getting married of course!" he said, cracking his knuckles in anticipation, he couldn't wait.

"Straight away? You don't waste any time do you?" she giggled at the thought. "Of course, you need Lightning's approval first…"

She saw the colour drain from his face slightly. Reaching out her good arm she gave him a light playful tap on the bicep.

"Don't worry, I think you've grown on her. Just don't tell her I said so…" she smiled, winking. Winning Lightning's approval was important to Snow, because Lightning was a big part of Serah's life, and he wanted her to be happy in everything she did.

He didn't get much time to ponder his thoughts, hearing footsteps on the wooden slats outside they all looked towards the door eagerly.

"They back alre…." Snow didn't get a chance to finish his sentence, by the time he had spoken, his words were lost in the door flying open, the hinges taking a battering for the second time that day. This time it was Fang's foot that sent it flying open. Waiting for the others to run in she didn't bother shutting it again, they would be leaving and quickly. Hope dashed in, quickly followed by a tense Lightning.

"We have to go!" Lightning half-shouted, running forward she held out a hand and dragged Sazh to his feet, pointing towards the door. Snow looked out quickly, His jaw falling.

"What did you do?" he shot Hope's way, Vanille tried to peer over his shoulder, pushing herself further up. Her shoulder gave out a stabbing sensation so she refrained from stretching any further. Instead she just relaxed a little and decided to ask what was going on. From the way the pink-haired soldier spoke, it was urgent.

"What's going on?" she whispered, looking to Fang for answers.

"There's no time, we have to get out of here…" Fang answered, looking out the door nervously. If the soldiers reached here, they would be able to fight but Vanille would be completely unprotected…

"Here." Lightning walked to her briskly, with full intent of carrying the younger l'Cie.

"It's fine, I can walk." Vanille answered, swinging her legs gingerly out of bed she attempted to right herself onto her feet. The action failed miserably and every muscle screamed out in protest.

"Don't be stubborn, I'll carry you…" Lightning offered, she too looked over her shoulder nervously. She had to protect Vanille, no matter what the cost. It was one of her missions now, and she would see it through. Vanille sighed and gave in, there wasn't a chance she would be able to walk, let alone run.

Lightning bent down and Vanille wrapped her arms around the soldiers neck carefully, trying not to move too much, with too much movement everything still hurt. Lightning picked her up gently, so that she was in the most comfortable position. Even though the younger girl was light, they wouldn't be able to go far, not without taking it in turns, and Lightning was too stubborn to let that happen.

"You okay Sis?" Snow said quickly, his invitation to carry Vanille. For now, Lightning wanted to know that she was as safe as possible, so she declined quickly. She was happy with Vanille firmly in her arms.

Fang lead the way out of the small house, heading anywhere they could lose the soldiers.

Looking back towards Eden she caught a quick glimpse of Alexander, trying his hardest to stamp on a few of the running men, it wouldn't be long before the whole of Eden was out here, looking for them. At least Hope had a little sense summoning the Eidolon. Reaching into her sari she pulled out her own little crystal, throwing it into the air she heard two quick gunshots, Lightning had fired at her own crystal too, her gun blade balanced in one arm. Even one handed, she was a perfect shot. The crystals summoned both Bahamut and Odin, their stance grew and they immediately took up arms, ready to protect the fleeing l'Cie.

"Good idea, they might slow them down a little…" Lightning whispered, nodding to Fang, placing her blade back in its holster with one free hand. Then she wrapped it firmly back around the young girl, where it belonged for now.

"Let's get out of here…"


	31. An Impossible Situation

**Heya Guys.**

**Now, I want to thank you for your kind comments on the last chapter. I realise that it wasn't exactly up to scratch, I had a little bit of a mental block. So I hope that this chapter is a little bit better, and thanks for reading and reviewing the last one! **

**Enjoy. **

**XX**

* * *

"Snow, can you take her?" Lightning's spoke quietly, her tone very unlike its usual brisk demeanour. Her voice was lost in the wind, the weather opening up once more to pelt the small group with rain, thunder and lightning flashing through the sky.

Night had fallen and they were all tired.

Lightning's request almost sounded like a plea, she couldn't remember ever walking so far, so fast. Even when they were back in Mah'habara, her pace was nothing compared to what the soldiers were driving them forward at now. Her limbs were aching with every step, her head pounding with exhaustion.

They were on Cocoon, but other than that, they could have been anywhere, her own world was alien to her. Even the bright lights of Eden were too far away to acknowledge. They were outcasts… fugitives.

It was starting to catch up on them.

Snow just nodded his head, the blonde too tired to contemplate speaking. Yet he would do what she asked, through the fatigue. They had all been taking turns at carrying the redhead. Even though she was light, carrying their own weight was hard, let alone hers too. They had run a long way to begin with. The Eidolon's giving them a small window of opportunity to escape.

It had been touch and go to begin with, however as night had fallen, hiding had become increasingly easier. As long as they stayed out of conflict, they were alright. Lightning was just thankful that it had only been foot soldiers chasing them. Now they were in the middle of nowhere, with nothing but themselves and their weapons. She just hoped there was no night creatures lurking in the shadows, that they didn't have the energy for.

"Light, slow down, I think we've lost them…" even Fang's voice sounded weary. Something that was rare, the huntress seemed to have more stamina than even the soldier herself, but this time they were all pushed to the max. Who knew that arriving home would have been so hard?

Snow moved forward silently, ready to take Vanille from Lighting, the young redhead was asleep, and Lightning had been piggy-backing her for the last few miles. The day had taken it out on her too, even though she didn't do any of the walking, the movements of everyone else had taken it out of her.

Hope felt awful.

If he hadn't gone into Eden, none of this would have happened, now they were all in danger, Vanille especially. That was the last thing he wanted to do, Vanille had woven a spell over them all, none more than Lightning but everyone felt the urge to protect her, even him. Perhaps journeying to Eden had been a bad thing, but he did have good intentions.

"Vanille… hey, wake up." Lightning shrugged her shoulders gently, stirring the younger l'Cie. She was careful as she gently lowered her to the floor, Snow aiding the movement, ready to pick her up.

Lightning waved a hand quickly, Fang was right, they couldn't keep on like this forever. They had to wait, they had to rest. Vanille needed it, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she needed it too. So did the rest of the group.

"Its alright, I think we should be safe here…" she whispered, her eyes fixed to the younger girl. Fang walked up to her slowly, dropping to her knees on the other side. Her skin connected with standing water and mud, the blue of her sari disappearing beneath a layer of clay.

Vanille's eyes fluttered open, focusing on the two women quickly. She blinked the rain out from her eyes, realising that they had stopped moving, she gently sat herself upright with Lightning's help. She felt a little more refreshed after sleeping, more than could be said for everyone else.

She locked eyes with Lightning, the worried expression that they held sent a slight shiver down her spine, the wet ground aiding with the motion. It took her a little time to realise that she was cold, and looking up at Lightning and Fang she saw that she wasn't the only one. Lightning attempted to stop her teeth from chattering as she looked down but it was no use, the rain had soaked through them all. Soaking hair and making their clothes heavy, sending a chill down everyone's spines. Her shoulders shook lightly, trying to spread a little warmth. She looked over Fang's arms, her skin tinged a light shade of blue.

"Are you alright?" Fang said, ignoring her own well-being. She spoke in not much more that a whisper but loud enough for her voice to be heard over the cascading water. Vanille ignored the question, this wasn't just about her. Feeling like a hindrance was bad enough.

"Did, did we lose them?" She whispered, looking around. She too, had no idea where they were. She noticed that the small party had stopped in amongst a small group of trees, their leaves too flimsy to offer much shelter from the rain.

"For now, but it's just a matter of time before they find us again." Fang stated numbly, it was true. If they didn't keep moving it wouldn't take long for the Cocoon army to find their location, but for tonight at least, they should be safe. Even the best couldn't track them through such a storm. It was a godsend yet bad news at the same time.

"We'll never be able to set up camp, not in this weather." Sazh spoke from behind the two women, he had slumped his back against the nearest rock, his body worn out and his mind not too far behind. Raising his pistol he eyed it eagerly. The little chick however, rested itself on the barrel, like it always did. Sazh shook his head, he had something to fight for now. One day he might have considered suicide, but now, now he had the promise of his son. Something no one could take away, and Vanille had helped him with that.

"He's right, starting a fire is going to be impossible…" Snow said, looking down upon the shivering women. Hope's teeth were also chattering but he just wrapped his arms around himself and ignored them.

"Even magic won't keep one burning in this weather…" he said thoughtfully, the lack of heat could become a problem, especially for Vanille. The rest of them should be healthy enough to take it, the last thing Vanille needed right now was a chill.

Walking over to Lightning, he took his coat off quickly, handing it down to the pink-haired soldier.

"Here, keep her warm. I'm not cold…" he nodded quickly, his eyes full of worry. He really was softer than he acted. Lightning nodded her thanks, ignoring the fact that she too, was cold. She draped the coat around Vanille's shoulders, the heavy material weighed her down slightly and she flinched as her shoulder bore it's sudden weight, but other than that it kept the water off her back, adding a little more protection from the weather.

She was increasingly conscious of the fact her bandages seemed to be soaked through, not that they were doing much good now anyway, the bleeding had stopped. Lightning insisted that she keep them on, to try and at least keep some infection out. That was the last thing they needed.

Hope jumped slightly as a flash of Lightning crossed the sky, lighting up the small clearing for a split second. The ground underneath him squelched as he walked forward, seeking a little comfort from the huddled together group. Looking upon Vanille, he whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry…"

Vanille looked up at him carefully, he averted his gaze away, not wanting to meet her eyes. She shook her head, he shouldn't blame himself, after all, he was doing it for her. Something she was extremely grateful for.

"Hope stop, I'm not mad, really." she whispered, his eyes finally meeting hers. She confirmed her words with a small nod, something that filled him with a little more reassurance.

Lightning however, felt a sudden flash of annoyance run through her.

Standing up quickly, she turned to the young boy, anger coursing through her veins. She knew that it was tiredness that drove her forward, that she didn't mean to get angry at all. Yet she saw red, her protection mode for Vanille kicking in. She didn't have the chance to speak with him whilst they had been running, now was the perfect time.

"Hope what were you thinking?" she growled quickly, advancing upon him with slow steps. He gulped for a second before scrambling to his feet, Lightning was scary when she got angry, he had seen the way she treated Snow back at Lake Bresha.

"Light take it easy, he knows what he did was stupid." Fang stated, leaving Vanille for a second to try and help the scared boy. Hell, even she was a little nervous when Lightning got mad.

"Didn't I teach you anything back in the Vile Peaks?" Lightning continued, taking a few more steps forward. "How many times do you have to put your own neck on the line? Let alone ours…"

Hope took a few more steps backwards, the last time he had seen Lightning this angry it was when Odin had appeared, he was scared then. This time there was no Eidolon to save him, no distraction. Besides, Lightning was right, she had every reason to be mad at him. He knew that his instincts should have told him it was a bad idea, he just didn't have the life skills that she did, he didn't have the formal training.

"Lightning, calm down, we're all tired here." Snow put himself in-between the two l'Cie, holding his arms out in front of Hope. However bad what he did was, he didn't deserve Lightning's wrath…

"Claire, please. Stop." Vanille whispered, she was scared too, for Hope and for Lightning. If she hurt the young boy she would never forgive herself. Lightning just walked forward, oblivious to Vanille's plea. She pushed Snow aside, adrenaline coursing through her.

Deep down, she cared about Hope. Ever since she had saved him from Odin's sword, she had held a soft spot for the young l'Cie. But this time, he had crossed a line. He was scared of her, she could see that in his eyes, but this time. She was mad, and he was just simply in her way.

Reaching for her gun blade involuntarily she saw his eyes widen, she felt as if her body was just carrying her forward, the rest of her screaming out to stop. Vanille's words ringing in her head.

Snow picked himself up quickly, Lightning wasn't listening to reason, he knew what she was like when she got angry, he had felt it. With her weapon in hand, he didn't know what she would do.

"Light, no!" Fang yelled quickly, running forward she drew her lance. Jumping in-between the two l'Cie she raised it high, threatening battle should Lightning not listen to the warnings.

"Fang, get out the way…" Lightning growled, her eyes narrowing.

"Light, you don't mean it, we're all weary and that's what's talking. He did wrong and he knows it. Don't do something your going to regret, please. Just let it go." Fang whispered the last bit, gripping her lance she took in a sharp breath, hoping that Lightning would sigh and give in. She didn't understand just how angry the soldier was.

Lunging forward, Lightning brought her gun blade down upon Fang quickly, her anger getting the better of her. Hope had stumbled backwards, his feet connecting with a rogue tree root and landing him on the floor. He stopped to look up at the two women, one trying to take it out on him and one defending him. Funny that, he never imagined Fang standing up for him.

Fang struggled backwards, protecting the young boy. Her feet slipped back in the mud, trying to force Lightning's blade away from her body. She knew Lightning didn't mean it, and she definitely wasn't going to hurt the soldier, she just needed to snap her out of it.

"I'm not going to fight you…" Fang panted, her tired limbs aching. Lightning was stronger than anyone she had ever fought, she didn't like the odds of fighting her when she was wound up, for whatever reason. It would have been bad enough if she herself was at full strength, but she was so tired.

She dropped her lance lower, her stance defensive but submissive.

Lightning took a step forward, raising her weapon again. A mixture of everything over the past few days running through her mind. She was about to rush forwards when she heard a quiet voice to her right, one she would answer wherever she might go, this time Vanille's words reached her, slowing her down and forcing her feet to remain motionless.

"Claire, stop. Please stop…"

Vanille stood to her right, her legs shaking with effort. For a moment, she looked as if she might fall back to the floor, but instead she managed to make her feet carry her forward, ignoring the pain rushing through her body. Lightning would listen to her, she had to. Even if she didn't she had to try, for Hope's sake.

Lightning paused for a moment, her breathing heavy. The sight of Vanille on her feet instantly changing her emotions to one of worry, instead of anger. She froze in place, letting go of her weapon she let it crash to the ground, the weight splashing muddy water up her legs, over the top of her boots.

Vanille took a step forward, so that she was within a few feet of the soldier, her eyes pleading for the older woman to listen.

"Vanille…. I." Lightning suddenly felt very conscious of her actions, hanging her head down she mulled over what had just happened. Looking over to Hope she saw him flinch backwards, obviously scared that she would get angry again. Instead she looked away, shameful of what just happened. She was aware of Fang's heavy breathing to her left, the huntress placing her lance back in its holster, a sigh of relief running through her.

Fighting amongst themselves was the worst possible action.

"You calmed down?" Fang asked, walking quickly to Vanille. She put an arm around her waist quickly, preventing the young l'Cie's limbs from giving way. She looked down at her with sympathy, she was being brave through it all. She knew that moving must hurt more than Vanille was letting on, simply from the pale colour her skin had gone.

"Sit back down…" she whispered to the younger girl, glancing back over at Lightning just to make sure she had stopped her headlong crusade once and for all. She was pleased to see the gun blade was still firmly in the mud, far from where Lightning could wield it. Vanille however, ignored her request. Staying firmly on her feet.

"Sis, what was that all about?" Snow asked, dumbfounded. She had really lost her temper…

"I.. I don't know…" she replied honestly, she hadn't meant to lose it like that. She didn't even have the energy to correct Snow's 'Sis' comment. Now that the adrenaline had stopped flowing, she could feel her knees shaking.

Hope also looked as white as a ghost.

"I'm sorry, Hope… I…" she began, embarrassed. He cut her short, shaking his head.

"Don't be…" finally finding his voice he spoke what he needed to. "You were right, it was reckless, I put everyone in danger and I'm sorry. It wont happen again…" he looked around the group as he spoke the last bit, his silent promise for no more reckless actions.

Lightning nodded quickly, accepting the apology. Although she felt like it was unnecessary, especially after what she just did.

A muffled cry to her right made her spin around quickly, instantly tuning in to the sound of Vanille's voice. The young l'Cie was leant heavily on Fang, her hands grasping her brand tightly.

Vanille gritted her teeth as a white-hot pain seared through her thigh. It felt almost as bad as when Hecaton had appeared, the same kind of stabbing pain that she had experienced before.

"Vanille!" Fang exclaimed, looking over her nervously. Lightning was quick to run over, she too held a scared expression. She placed her hands over Vanille's trembling ones, trying to see what the matter was.

"What's wrong?" she whispered quickly, scanning over her features. The others had moved a little closer too, suddenly worried for the young girl.

"My brand…" she whispered through gritted teeth. "It feels like its burning…"

She grasped her thigh a little tighter, her hands twitching under Lightning's. Yet as soon as the pain had come, it ceased to exist. The stabbing sensation left her leg, all that remained was a dull sort of ache. She lifted her hands up carefully, she knew what it meant. Her brand must have progressed further, probably from all the drama.

"Let me see…" Lightning whispered, Fang too peered over as Lightning knelt down and lifted a piece of Vanille's skirt. The men were all too worried to look away this time, privacy lost. Snow quickly looked at his own arm, comparing the two brands. He looked back at Vanille's alarmed at how much further her brand was than his own.

"There's not much time…" Fang whispered, her voice low. Lightning let the piece of material fall back down, covering Vanille's leg back up again.

Vanille could feel the tears behind her eyes, still from the pain that had been coursing through her, it had made her forget momentarily that she hurt elsewhere too. She looked down at Lightning, suddenly afraid. Was she going to be the first to turn into a Cie'th? She hated the thought of leaving everyone behind like that…

As if to read what she was saying Lightning quickly took hold of her hand, reassurance flowing through her. All of her previous emotions were gone, the tiredness was now not quite so vivid. This had given her a wake up call. They might be safe for now, here from the soldiers, but the focus they were trying so desperately to outrun was catching up with them.

"Damnit, were running out of time." Now it was Fang's turn to raise her voice. She stepped away from the younger Pulsian as Lightning stood up to take her weight. Placing her hands around her waist she offered her support, as she had many times before.

"There's nothing more we can do, not for tonight anyway." Hope whispered, looking at Vanille carefully, as if she might turn at any minute and start attacking them. He smiled gingerly, the least he could do in the current situation.

"I can't just sit here and do nothing…" Fang stated. "I made a promise that I would tear down the sky to save you, Light can vouch for that. I intend to keep that promise."

"We have to get back to Eden…" Sazh whispered. It was the only way.

"We can't fight, not with Vanille like this…" Lightning shot back, annoyance evident. She took a deep breath, the last thing she needed was to lose her temper again. She didn't know how long it would be until their brands were in the final stages, Vanille's being more advanced than anyone's. She remembered how scared she had been when Hope's had advanced back on Gran Pulse. She felt a sudden pang of guilt for attacking him earlier, her motherly instincts coming back .

Either way, they had bigger things to deal with than her emotions right now.

"Then go without me…" Vanille whispered, looking over at Lightning apologetically. She knew that she was slowing everyone down, this wasn't just about her. They were all running out of time.

"Don't be ridiculous." Lightning whispered back, shocked at her words. How could she ever leave her behind? "I'm not leaving you, none of us are…"

"It's a pickle alright…" Sazh sighed, leaning back against his rock. At this rate, he wouldn't get to see Dajh at all anyway…

"It's not over, we still have a little time…" Hope said, raising his voice. "As long as we stick together we'll get through , no matter how bad it looks."

He took a nervous step towards Lightning, his gaze meeting hers.

"Remember what you told me on Cocoon? We can't lose hope…" he whispered, walking forward and placing a hand on Lightning's shoulder. She smiled up at him half-heartedly. Even if what he said was true, if they could still somehow beat this focus. They had no way of doing it, at least not that she could see.

She placed the side of her head gently against Vanille's, the younger girl closing her eyes at the contact. She was pleased for a little more heat through the rain, Lightning shielding her the best she could.

Lightning gripped her a little tighter and she felt Vanille do the same back, her arm looping around the soldier, more for contact than support. She ignored the slight twinge her injuries gave her, it was worth it.

Lightning had her hope right here, by her side. As long as Vanille was here, she could fight on. They all had their reasons, they just needed to hang onto them. She would fight for Serah, and for the people she travelled with.

They were more than just companions… they were family.

"Alright…" Fang sighed, she looked up at the sky, blinking in the rain for a moment before taking a deep breath and addressing the group.

"I guess we need a plan…"

* * *

**A.N**

**Well, it's done! I hope you all liked it better than the last one : ) I still have a few storylines planned in this tale before I'm done. This chapter is leading up to the next big one . : ) I guess you will just have to stay tuned to find out what happens…**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! **


	32. A Soldier's Promise

**Heya Guys. **

**I'm here with the next chapter! : ) **

**Once again, thanks for all your reviews, especially those that I don't get to thank personally through e-mail. (as I like to do that where I can!) It is always nice to hear your thoughts and opinions. **

**Unfortunately, I had another little bit of an accident just recently, well, yesterday to be exact. My horse managed to freak out and drag me across a piece of barbed wire fencing. Now it could have been nastier than it was but with twenty-two stitches across my shoulder, I'm still not counting my blessings…. : ( Animals eh? **

**Anyway, since I'm taking it easy at home for a while, here is the next chapter! **

**Enjoy! **

* * *

"_I'm not going anywhere, I'll be here when you wake up…" _

Lightning's own words rung around her head in a sober melody. As she turned over, her back cold against the grass of her home planet, she propped herself up on her right elbow. She carefully took in the sight before her, a soft expression written across her face.

She knew she should be tired, the past few days should have caught up on her by now but the truth was, she just couldn't bring herself to relax. She thought back to a few days previously, when everything had gone so wrong, when she had nearly lost her, lost Vanille.

Shuddering, she recalled the words again. The promise she made to Vanille. To _her_ Vanille, that she would be there when she awoke and whenever she needed her to be. She looked away, scrunching her eyes tightly together at the thought of breaking that promise. It was something she wouldn't find easy, but it was something that had to be done.

She looked back to her main focus, the moonlight casting a shadow over Vanille's sleeping form. The strange night light made her skin look porcelain, frailer than in normal daylight. Lightning took in everything, from her soft, innocent looking expression to the steady rising and falling of her chest, quiet in the silence of Cocoon's nightfall.

"I made a promise to you that day." she whispered, reaching out she brushed a stray lock of red hair from the young l'Cie's face, revealing even more of the still expression that lay beneath. She hovered for a moment, her hand resting against the girl's cold cheek. She felt the same spark of contact as always, something that happened every time they touched, it filled her with a kind of warmth that couldn't be brought on by any fire.

"I'm sorry. I just cant keep it…" she whispered again, feeling a sadness tighten her chest, this was going to be unbearably hard. Give her a monster to fight any time of the day. She traced the other hand down Vanille's stomach lightly, her fingers brushing across her bandages lightly. She shivered, remembering the injuries that lay beneath.

"The thought of losing you, the memory that I nearly did. It's too much Vanille. When I thought you were dead I… I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. I never want to feel that again, so I have to leave, I have to go. Protecting you, it needs to come first." she paused to take a breath, her exhale visible in the cold air, a slight wisp of steam against the dark night.

"There's nothing left to do, if there was another way I…" she paused quickly, Vanille stirred gently, rolling sideways and positioning herself a little closer to the pink-haired soldier. Lightning felt her breath hitch slightly, before Vanille curled up again, oblivious to her words and fell back to sleep. Her breathing just as light as before. Lightning breathed a sigh of relief herself, what she was saying was so much easier whilst Vanille was asleep.

In fact, she wasn't sure she would have the courage to say what she needed at all if she had been awake. Vanille had a way of casting a spell over her and she knew that if the young girl was even so much as to look her way, that her eyes would pass a silent message for Lightning to stay, and her mind would be made up. She would be trapped in the mysterious power the younger l'Cie held.

"I guess that's what happens when you love someone." she whispered, more to herself than the sleeping girl. Her mind flashed back to what Fang had told her on Cocoon.

"_I'd tear down the sky if it would save her…" _

"So will I, I'll tear down the universe if that's what it takes…" she whispered, brushing her hand back through Vanille's hair lightly. She wove her fingers into her red-locks, taking in every inch she possibly could. She knew she would have to get up soon, whilst darkness still fell, yet she couldn't deny herself a couple more minutes. Perhaps they would be the last.

She shuffled herself closer slightly, her back slightly damp against the ground. Luckily the rain had ceased pouring and the sun had graced them with a little drying time before night fell. However it didn't stop the shivers from coming, the cold that set into their bodies with tiredness. She looked upon the red-cape she usually wore so proudly across her shoulder, the one that now meant nothing at all to her. It was just a piece of material after all. At least it was serving its purpose now, she had draped it over Vanille half way through the night, when the temperature was at it's coldest. She had full intentions of leaving it there.

She sighed deeply, it was time.

She leaned over carefully, so that her face was just centimetres from the sleeping l'Cie, then as quietly as ever, she placed a soft kiss on the top of her forehead, staying there for a few seconds. She took in everything, the feel of her skin, the scent of her, everything. For one last time.

She didn't know how things would end, but as long as she was safe, it didn't matter.

She pulled away reluctantly, her eyes falling over Vanille for a last time before she picked herself up, Vanille instantly stirring, yet settling again through the loss of contact. Lightning felt a single tear fall from her eyes, one that she couldn't keep back. It rolled down her cheek and finally cascaded to the ground, one last goodbye that she couldn't bring herself to say.

"I love you." she whispered. "I'm going to end this, once and for all. When it's over, I promise, I'll find you again. One way or another…"

She closed her fist tightly before dragging herself away, her eyes leaving the sight before her for the last time that night.

* * *

She crept forwards quickly but quietly, her shoes only making a slight noise against the dark grass. The night still held its cover of darkness, but light was beginning to creep upwards quickly and she knew she had to hurry. It had taken her a little time, but she had brushed through all the remaining supplies that they had, taking just what she was sure she wouldn't need and leaving the rest for Vanille. After all, she would need some kind of potions and accessories to see her through this.

Before she completely left the small camp, she glanced around the sleeping forms of her travelling companions. This had started out as a solo mission and she had planned on keeping it as such, but then they had arrived and since then, they had been with her every step of the way.

She would miss this.

The last person for her eyes to fall upon was Snow, the person that has perhaps kept them all going with his belief of Serah coming back. He had been the driving force behind a good few of her actions, and his intentions had been good throughout the whole journey. She knew his love for Serah was genuine, just as much as her own feelings for Vanille were. So before she walked away she whispered one last thing, another promise that she planned on seeing through.

"I'll bring Serah back, and we will go home. Together…"

Then she walked away, brisk into the night.

The task ahead of her doomed large, she hadn't given much thought to what would happen if she managed to reach Orphan, she had no idea how she would stop Barthandelus's prediction from coming true, but she had to try. She couldn't just sit and wait to become a Cie'th.

It was ironic really. She set out to bring her sister back, by herself, just her against the world, and that's the way it would end.

A final stand, between possibly the most powerful l'Cie that could have been chosen for the task, against Cocoon's personal protector.

Who could have predicted that it would end this way?

"Light?" she felt her heart skip quickly at the sound of another voice, she thought back quickly. Who was on watch? Who hadn't been in the camp when she left?

She mentally kicked herself at being caught.

Of course.

"Fang…" she whispered quickly, turning to face the raven-haired huntress. Fang stood up quickly, stretching out the kinks running through her body. She eyed the soldier suspiciously, she had taken watch just a few hours ago and had decided to find a more comfortable spot to sit. Unfortunately for Lightning, it was in the opposite position to the usual post.

"What are you doing?" she said quickly, looking up and down at the soldier, taking in the pouch of supplies that hung heavy against her side and the sneaking walk that she had been previously displaying.

"Running away are ya?" she mocked, pointing to Lightning's small travel bag. Lightning rolled her eyes quickly. She didn't have time for this.

"Fang please…" she whispered, her eyes pleading. This would be a lot easier if the huntress didn't try and stop her.

"Light listen, I know what you are trying to pull here…" Fang said, a slight mockery in her voice. She knew exactly what Lightning's plans were, she could see through the charade easily.

She only knew, because she had been thinking of the exact same thing.

Did Lightning really think she could just run off and fight Orphan by herself? Even with the power of Ragnarok behind her, Fang hadn't been able to do it in the past, so surely not much would be different now. Fang had stopped the mad thoughts of going alone as soon as they had started, it was suicide, and getting herself killed wouldn't save anyone. It was just a pity that Lightning wasn't considering the same.

"I'm not trying to pull anything… Fang, we needed a plan, and I've come up with one…"

"Going by yourself? Do you really think that's a plan?" Fang allowed a slight tone of annoyance cross her voice, thinking that the idea was reckless, not to mention what it would do to Vanille. A subject she brought about without hesitation.

"And what about her huh?" she nodded back towards the camp, to where a slight glow could still be seen from their camp-fire.

" If you go, if you just walk away… it will break her." she paused for a second, now her eyes were doing the pleading, deep down she knew it was no good. Lightning was too stubborn, but she had to try.

"And you know it…" she added. Waiting for the other woman to retaliate.

"Please don't make this harder Fang." Lightning sighed, she knew that leaving would indeed be hard on Vanille, but it was the right thing. She was sure of it.

"I've thought about this, and she'll come round in time. I just need you to make her see that what I'm doing. It's for the best." Lightning was trying to convince herself more than anyone.

"What about your sister? Hmmm? Are you sure that this isn't just about leaving us behind and saving her?" Fang was annoyed, she knew that Lightning wouldn't abandon them for any reason if she didn't think it was the right thing to do.

"Fang, you know that I love her, I'm going to save them both. I promise."

"Then let me come with you…"

"She needs you here." Lightning said quickly, as much as she hated to admit it. Vanille loved Fang too, deep down and in a family kind of way. Fang had once been Vanille's world, and she was the only one that could make Vanille see.

"What do you plan on doing? Throwing a few spells and hoping for the best? Barthandelus will kill you in a heartbeat…" Fang tried desperately, one last time to no avail. Barthandelus was twisted, they all knew it. He would be full of mind games, ones that would be hard to face alone.

Lightning just shrugged her shoulders quickly, brushing off the thought.

"I haven't thought that far ahead…" she whispered, closing her eyes to blink in the moment. She would form a plan on the way, if indeed she could even reach her destination in one piece.

"Barthandelus won't make it easy you know." Fang added, there was something that Lightning needed to consider, if everything else went wrong.

"If it comes down to it, you have to ask yourself. Who would you choose?" she said quietly, her eyes locking with the pink-haired soldiers at the last word.

"Vanille, or Serah?"

She reverted her eyes back to the floor, before stepping away and allowing Lightning to pass, if the soldier really needed to do this, if this was the plan. Then she wouldn't stop her. Hell, knowing Lightning, she might just be able to pull it off. She knew that the decision she was making herself was wrong. She should be trying to stop the pink-haired soldier, for all of them, for Vanille. Yet she believed what Lightning was saying, and they needed a plan, without a suggestion of something better, she could see that this was the only option. She just hoped it was the right one.

With a little luck and a whole lot of determination, something Lightning had in abundance, who knew?

Lightning looked the other woman up and down quickly, her words ringing in her head. What did she mean if she had to choose? Her blood ran cold with the thought, how would she possibly make a decision like that? It was a relief that for tonight, no decisions had to be made. Looking over one last time, she forced her reluctant feet carry her forward past the waiting woman and towards her next goal.

She felt a slight brush against her shoulder as Fang lightly placed her hand across it, she continued forwards into the light of a rising dawn with just a final few words from the huntress and her thought's entirely on the young l'Cie she was leaving behind…

"Watch your back soldier…"

* * *

**A.N. **

**Well, I now that this again, is slightly short but it is leading up into the next big storyline, as you can probably tell. I'm not giving you too many details as you will just have to read on to see, but alas. I'm leaving it here for tonight. **

**Thanks as always, for reading! **


	33. The Right Choice

**Hi Guys.**

**Again, I'm really, really sorry for the slow updating on my behalf, it is very unlike me to go a long time without posting something but I hit a bit of a rough patch as you know! So for everyone who left me reviews for the last chapter I want to thank you for your kind words. : ) **

**This chapter is whole-heartedly dedicated to Faded Writer, who's encouragement and fantastic profile shout out has really spurred me on to write some more chapters, and has made me feel a little guilty about not posting for a while. You have bared with me through all the missed update dates and (some) not so good chapters, and the fact that you, and everyone else is continuing to read my work… really means a lot. :S. So, I hope you enjoy this one as much as you have done the rest. **

**Thank You : ) **

**XX**

* * *

By the time she awoke, the sun had just started to peek above the slow-moving, Cocoon clouds.

Vanille allowed her eyes to flicker open carefully, taking in the new adjustment of daylight and a distinct lack of bad weather. She smiled, revelling in the sun's rays before slowly and gingerly stretching her legs downwards, all the usual kinks from sleeping on the floor immediately relaxing out and releasing their grip on her bruised muscles. She was surprised as she moved to her arms, that they felt considerably better.

The only thing that came to her as no surprise, was the fact that she had woken up by herself. Lightning never was one to sleep in past the break of dawn.

Sitting herself upright, she blinked in her surroundings, noting that she was indeed the last to rise, something that made her giggle to herself. It was the usual routine. She looked across at her own bandages carefully, taking in the fact that for once, no blood seemed to have leaked through the bright white material. She stretched her shoulder out and cringed, she had been hoping for some kind of miracle, if there was no blood then perhaps there was no cut. Yet as she moved she could feel that the injuries hadn't changed much, they were still sore, but she, in herself felt a little brighter somehow.

Taking a chance to rise to her feet whilst no one was looking, she did so gently, happy with the fact that her limbs were no longer wobbling dangerously. She could see that someone had lit a fire, and even though its embers were burnet low and only a small amount of smoke blithered from the dust, she still decided to head towards the group's favourite gathering spot next to it.

Testing her weight carefully she found that walking was easier than she first imagined, her legs complying for once.

As she approached the small fire she noticed the sombre mood that seemed to have fallen over her companions and looking around, she could only count the four of them. Hope was sat cross-legged, staring a way into the distance, his expression blanked and unreadable.

She furrowed her brow, it seemed everyone else was wearing the same expression. It was nearly enough to change her new found happy mood. In fact, everyone seemed completely oblivious to the fact she was there at all.

She instantly noticed the lack of Lightning's prescience, an instant cold feeling across her skin. Usually, the pink-haired soldier wouldn't be many feet away, especially not now that Cocoon was on red-alert for the small group of l'Cie.

'Hmm, I wonder if she's getting wood for the fire?' she mused, a sudden sinking feeling falling upon her. Deciding to announce her prescience she cleared her throat quietly, just below the tone of making everyone jump. She remembered the last time that she made Lightning jump, it had nearly ended with her being impaled on a rather sharp gunblade…

Fang quickly looked up at the sound of movement on Vanille's part, and the young l'Cie also noticed how everyone else's heads snapped up at the sound. Her eyes fell back on Hope, meeting his light-eyes cheerfully. Her smile however, soon faded.

Had he been crying?

"Vanille?" Fang quickly shot to her feet, looking the younger girl up and down unusually thoroughly, as if she might sink back down to the floor with the slightest gust of breeze. Vanille looked taken aback, she knew she had been impaled only a few days ago but still, it was usually Lightning's job to be over-protective, and she was nowhere to be seen…

"I'm okay…" she whispered back, attempting to put her companion's mind at ease, after all. A good nights sleep seemed to have done her some good, and for once she had slept unbelievably well. Something that only happened when she had a certain pink-haired protector by her side.

"Maybe you should sit down?" Fang suggested, eyeing her bandages quickly.

"Really, I feel fine… well, better anyway." she added, knowing that 'fine' wasn't perhaps the most accurate word to use.

"Hope?" she dove straight in at the deep end. He looked away quickly, trying to conceal his slightly reddened eyes from the young red-head.

"What's the matter?" she asked, a strange tightening feeling coming across her chest. Was someone hurt? Had something happened when she had been asleep?

"Uh, Vanille…" Fang said, in a quiet voice that Vanille only seemed to hear when something had gone wrong…

"There's something I need to tell you and it's not something you are going to want to hear…"

Vanille's hear skipped a beat, its pace quickening at Fang's words. This was about Lightning, she just knew it. She closed her eyes for a split second and inhaled a deep breath, the air around her lungs restricting somehow giving her a light-headed feeling.

"What is it?" she whispered, not really daring to ask.

"She's gone…" Fang walked towards her carefully, her feet carrying her forward to offer a little support. This was going to be hard to hear.

"Light's gone…"

The young red-headed l'Cie looked up at Fang with confusion, Lightning was gone? It didn't make sense, she had been sleeping right next to her a couple of hours previously.

"What do you mean gone?" she asked, the former spark in her voice now dissipated. Her own words were spoken in a low, very alien tone to her.

"She's left… She's gone to Orphan Vanille, to try and protect us all." Sazh sighed, looking up from his trance to add a few solemn words. He found that he too was lost, it seemed strange to him, Lightning had been there almost the entire time, the glue that held them all together. It was ironic really, she was the sergeant that kept the troops marching, the one that always had an answer to their problems. Now, she had taken it upon herself to fix them, and he knew it was for the girl that stood in front of him. That, and the sister she so longed to save.

"She can't be gone…" Vanille whispered, a lump forming in her throat. Her eyes stung with a familiar emotion, one she was beginning to know all too well.

"She's gone, because she couldn't bear to see you get hurt. I'm sorry…" Fang whispered, walking a little closer and placing a hand across the younger Pulsian's shoulders. She sighed to herself, wondering if Lightning had made the right choice.

"She wanted me to tell you…" Fang paused as Vanille looked back up at her with saddened eyes, a silver teardrop falling down her cheek.

"That she was doing this for you…" she finished, squeezing the younger girls shoulder affectionately.

"Wait, she said that? You saw her go?" Vanille asked, her voice cracking slightly. She looked round to Snow, hoping that this was all some kind of bad dream and that she would wake up any moment now. His actions however, convinced her otherwise. Taking one look at her tear-streaked face he jumped to his feet and turned his back, his own shoulders shaking. She heard him mumble something under his breath, only catching a small sentence of 'I should've gone instead' before he walked himself away, giving her some space.

"She didn't have to tell me, I knew already why she was going. If I could have stopped her…"

"You were there?" Vanille shot quickly, pulling backwards from Fang's grip quickly, her voice coming out as one angry sob. The musicality and cheerfulness that it used to hold gone. Without Lightning, there was no reason for her to be happy…

"Why didn't you stop her? Why didn't you wake me? You should have told me, and I could have stopped her from going." she raised her voice angrily, her small body shaking with sadness. She felt as if someone had pierced her heart with a knife, torn it in two and left her to die.

"You wouldn't have changed her mind, don't you see? When her mind's made up, its made up… You know that better than anyone." Fang sighed, she had expected this kind of reaction. It was similar to how she felt when she had been separated from Vanille on Cocoon. She hadn't known which way to turn…

"You still should have… I…" Vanille paused, not even bothering to catch her breath. Instead, she just hitched her hands in front of her stomach, twisting them tightly together. She felt Fang's hands fall back on her shoulders before she let them shake uncontrollably, her body losing its fight with gravity. She sunk slowly to the floor, Fang's steady hands there for guidance as her knees bit into soft earth.

"She didn't even say goodbye…" she sobbed, her hands falling to her lap sadly. Fang knelt by her side, ignoring the damp ground beneath her knees.

"It was too hard for her to bear…" she whispered.

Vanille couldn't answer, she had nothing to say. Not without her.

Not without Claire.

Fang just allowed her to slip into an uncontrollable state of remorse. It was the only way she could deal with her emotion, she had never been very good at keeping emotion bottled up. Even when it came to hiding the truth about Ragnarok, she had to pour her heart out eventually.

Besides, she would be there until the tears stopped flowing…

Fang caught sight of Sazh and Hope rising to their feet, they gave one saddened look in her direction before sauntering after Snow, allowing Vanille the space to breathe.

Vanille just let emotion take over her body, she felt numb, completely senseless. Leaning forward, she buried her head in Fang's shoulder, taking comfort in her friends embrace. The only other person that could make things seem relatively okay, even when they weren't.

Fang just wrapped her arms around her small frame carefully, avoiding any sore spots that Vanille might have, not that it would have mattered much. She was too emotionally void to feel any physical pain. But either way, it was up to her now.

Somehow, she would make the pain a little more bearable. She just didn't know quite how yet.

* * *

Lightning ceased her forward jog as her breathing became more and more of an effort. Slowing her feet to a brisk walk, she allowed her body to calm its heartbeat, knowing her pace would wear her down quicker than she needed.

It was amazing really, she couldn't remember them straying so far from Eden itself. In the heat of the moment, when guards were after them, they had wandered further astray than she would have liked. That being said, at least her companions were out of harms way.

At least _she_ was safe.

Lightning glanced up at the sky as she walked, a dawning of a new day, a day she would spend alone. She couldn't help but feel a twinge of loneliness. It was the first time since they had officially 'landed' on Gran Pulse, since Vanille had been by her side, that she was alone and she noticed how quiet it really was.

Slowing her feet down even more, she allowed them to come to a slow-halt. Placing one hand on her hip, and the other on her weapon, as always, she breathed in the smell of fresh air. The air wasn't as clean here, she could feel the tainted oxygen that her own planet offered, riddled with the hostility of Cocoon. She had thought, before all of this happened, that Cocoon was the safer of the two planets.

Yet now she was here, fighting for more than one hope, it seemed the worst. It was the nest of vipers that Fang had first seen, the planet that the oldest Pulsian had admitted she hated with a passion, who's sky either of them would have torn down to save another.

That was where her mind truly rested, with the girl who had woven a spell over her own heart. A dangerous game she knew, only being half focused on her plan, on where she was going and on the fight ahead.

She couldn't help the fact that she had left half of her soul back in that campsite, back in the place she had just walked away from. With Vanille, where her heart belonged. She curled her fist up quickly as she felt her eyes begin to water, crying being almost as unnatural to her as sudden found weakness.

She couldn't help it, even as she walked towards Eden's centre, back towards the fal'Cie she so desperately wanted to reach, something was pulling her backwards. Her mind wondering whether she had done the right thing. After all, her close companions were far away from danger, but that still didn't stop them from being in trouble….

She shook her head. No, the danger was in front of her, clear as day. It was there, screaming at her in the form of the Sanctum. If she really was going to topple them, she would have to do so alone. She had convinced herself that it was the best way, and she was going to stick to that thought.

She just hoped Fang could keep them from following…

Looking back towards the sky, she allowed a slight breeze to take her hair backwards, spraying the pink-locks out behind her like foam on a waterfall. She closed her eyes, fighting back the sting of tears, forcing them down. There was nothing to cry about. When this was all over, they would be together again.

Her and Vanille.

Serah too, would be right by her side. She had promised more than one person…

Placing her hand over her chest, she felt the slow rhythm of her own heartbeat. Her mind whirled with unshed thoughts before she whisked them away, voicing the last one out loud.

"I'll come back for you… I promise." she whispered, re-opening her eyes and looking ahead. There was a reason she had set off alone.

Continuing forward, she straightened her body proudly. Lifting one gloved hand to shield her eyes as the sun broke through and finally peaked above the ground. It's rays casting her shadow across the surface of her home planet.

The final battle was on the horizon.

The final struggle for power over her own life, over _their _lives. She knew she would need everything she had to give, because Orphan's Cradle was beckoning.

She would be the one to answer that call…


	34. Onwards and Upwards

**Hi there! **

**Well, as promised here is the next chapter to Journey to Freedom. I quite like putting updates on, reaching a target gives me a little more pressure to write, so hopefully I will be updating my profile when I post new chapters. You will find the next update time on there, that way, you will all know when I'm going to post! **

**Anyway, thanks very much for the reviews on the previous chapter. I always appreciate the kind words and comments. **

**Enjoy.**

**XX**

* * *

Lightning panted as her feet hit the floor, she checked for a moment before running madly on, swinging her gunblade with accuracy. The Ugallu before her fell to it's knees with a thump, the life all but drained from it's body. She heard the big dog give a groan as it fell, smiling with satisfaction at her actions. She could remember a time that these kind of monsters were hard to kill. Now, her skill was greater and they proved no challenge at all. It just showed what she had been through in these past few weeks.

Lightning smirked to herself as she launched herself madly onto the back of a galloping Odin. Swapping her gunblade for his twin swords, she urged him onwards, heading straight towards the incoming army of Pulse creatures. She was unsure how it happened, all she knew was the soldiers of Cocoon were now all too pre-occupied to pay much attention to her.

Massive portals had ripped through the planet's surface, leaving gateways for Pulse monsters. She could only guess that their arrival back had somehow joined the two worlds, allowing travel instantaneously to wherever they waned to go. Unfortunately, all of Pulse's residents were now running wild. Now, not only did she have fighting the Sanctum to worry about, she had the constant threat of these creatures to deal with too. She rolled her eyes, like this wasn't impossible enough to start with.

She hoped it was just Eden that these portals were opening in… She hoped Vanille and the others were safe…

"Odin! Watch out!" she yelled quickly, spurring him to one side as an airborne monster swooped down. Odin's hooves clashed against stone as he jumped sideways, his rider just missing the sharp end of a Wyvern's claws.

She breathed a sigh of relief as Odin danced away from the hit, the creature continuing on in it's mad crusade. At least they weren't focused on her, it seemed they were just focused on wreaking as much havoc as they could.

She swung the twin-blades above her head with athleticism; bringing them down on a Goblin as she passed, sending it flying sideways. She had to push on, the Pulse creatures might not be beyond this part of the city. She had to battle on to Orphan's Cradle; it was the only chance they had now.

A bright green light suddenly erupted in front of her vision, she shielded her eyes quickly, blinking away from the unnatural glow. The light faded away just as quickly as it had come and she had to pause for a minute, aware of the galloping horse still beneath her. Little bright spots danced in front of her vision, blocking out the sight that now lay before her.

A portal opened wide a few metres in front of where they were galloping and Odin lurched beneath her suddenly, refocusing her eyes on what lay ahead.

She stiffened in place as a foot the size of a small airship waltzed through the gate, plummeting towards the floor at a steady pace. She didn't have time to dodge to one side, the shadow loomed large above them both and she looked up, just in time to see the darkness descend upon her.

Odin acted quickly, throwing her from his back with ease and disappearing from underneath her. He transformed back to his regular form and bit the floor with his feet, bringing himself to an abrupt standstill. Lightning too, flew a few feet before righting herself and landing gracefully, light as always on her feet. She covered her head with her hands as Odin stood up, bracing himself for the fall of the monster's foot.

Lightning knew by the sheer size of the creature that it was the one thing she hoped they wouldn't bump into. An Adamantoise, it had to be.

The foot came crashing down towards Odin. He flexed his arms as he held them above his head, preparing to take the weight of the monster. His knees buckled as the sheer mass of the Adamantoise's forelimb crashed against his waiting body. Pushing upwards with all his might, he groaned under the effort.

The creature came to an abrupt stop and Lightning dived to one side, taking the opportunity to remove herself from the firing line. Odin glanced over to her, checking that his master was safe, before simply giving in.

Lightning cringed as the animal put all of its weight down, crushing Odin to the pavement. She felt the familiar pang of guilt but knew that there would simply be a crystal left when it walked on, after all. Odin couldn't die, not whilst she was still breathing.

She looked down at her hands as his swords disappeared, moving up into the atmosphere with a wisp of smoke. She drew her own blade quickly, enraged at it's sudden attack. She moved to rush forward, yet checked herself a little, hesitating. The Adamantoise emerged fully from it's portal, it's body casting a larger shadow across her. It would be unwise to attack now, the monster was continuing away from her, oblivious to her existence.

She turned back to the carnage that was Eden's city centre. It's well paved streets crumbling underneath the sheer mass of Pulse. Citizens lay dead before her, a complete picture of mayhem and destruction behind them. Scream after scream met her ears as people fled the area, trying so desperately to get away from the Pulse creatures. Fearful of what they couldn't hope to defeat.

One shout caught her attention, it was closer than the rest. Turning back, she looked beyond the Adamantoise, to where it was heading. Before it, one loan soldier backed against the wall, no road left to run across. He was wearing the uniform of a Guardian Corps member, the same colours that she too boasted. She looked around desperately. The road ahead was clear, all she had to do was walk away.

She stood transfixed for a moment, her inner Lightning running through her head. She had to make a choice, help the man; who had she not been fighting Pulse creatures, would probably be trying to kill her right now. Or continue onwards, heading towards Orphan, towards the final challenge she would face.

She knew before her mind screamed it; that she could never let the man die. She had more honour than that.

Making her decision she rushed forwards, perusing the oversized monster. She didn't have time to stop and think about the consequences of her actions, besides she often found she fought better on impulse.

She had never faced an Admantoise before, Fang had shrugged the idea off as reckless. She had to agree, fighting something the size of a small planet would have been difficult. Fighting it alone however, would be much, much worse.

"Hey! Get out of there!" she yelled forward, if it was her stood where the soldier was, she would already be running. Fear had rooted him to the spot. The faster her boots kicked against the tarmac, the more the man seemed to shrink down, his body quivering. He was completely unaware of her warning voice. He thought the creature was coming for him, it's eyes set forward and focused.

"Let it past!" she yelled again, forcing her feet to go faster, taking her level with the walking tortoise and then past, out stripping its slow moving strides by a small amount. Leaping forwards, she placed herself in between it and the soldier, who was still rooted to the spot with fear.

"Get behind me!" she growled quickly, unable to see the man's expression due to his helmeted head.

She raised her weapon up high, the sunlight catching against the metal of her blade and reflecting upwards, straight into the vision of the incoming beast. The Admantoise gave an almighty roar and Lightning had to steady herself as the ground vibrated beneath her feet. It shook the soldier behind her, waking him up from his trance.

"Wh… what is it?" His muffled shaky voice met Lightning, who ignored the man. She kept her eyes set to the front, the Admantoise starting towards them in a forward charge. She adjusted her stance quickly, taking up a defensive position. She pointed the tip of her blade forwards, the point facing the creature menacingly.

It had seen them, now; there was no running. At least not for her.

The soldier however had other ideas. Finding his legs, he pushed himself off the wall quickly, not stopping to think twice about Lightning. She saw him go out of the corner of her eye.

She was alone.

"Tsk, coward!" she whispered, bracing herself as the shadow charged back towards her. Wrapping her once more in it's dark embrace.

* * *

"Vanille!" Fang crossed her arms in annoyance. The tall Pulsian huntress tapped her foot impatiently, her eyes set firmly on the girl in front of her. Snow and Sazh looked on in amusement whilst Hope hid as far away as he possibly could. No way was he going to get in-between two Gran Pulse natives having a domestic.

Besides, all women were scary when they were angry! Fang kind of reminded him of Lightning when she was mad, and he wouldn't have tackled either of them.

"Vanille, this is crazy. She left for a reason…" Fang repeated, trying a softer approach to the situation. She could understand Vanille's plight, she wanted to help Lightning too. Yet for all they knew, Lightning could be anywhere in the vast city of Eden.

"We'll never find her…" she sighed, uncrossing her arms. It seemed Vanille wasn't listening. Instead, she was stuffing every single pocket, bag and spare space she could find with their remaining supplies. She was on a mission and Fang knew that meant one thing. She had a plan, and she was going to see it through.

"Hey…" Fang walked over to the young red-head. She placed a hand on her small shoulder carefully, squeezing it lightly.

"She wanted you to stay here, to protect you… to keep you safe…" she whispered, her voice too low for the others to hear. Vanille shrugged her hand off quickly, jumping to her feet. She spun round to face her friend, a fire in her eyes Fang had never seen before.

"I'm going Fang, I've made up my mind…" she growled, her eyes swimming with tears.

"Vanille…"

"No. I'm not listening, what if something's happened? What if she's in trouble and needs our help?" she asked, taking a step forwards.

"Your still hurt, you need to rest up…" Fang argued. It was a true statement, even though she could see that Vanille was obviously feeling much better.

"We have to go, _I_ have to go…"

"Vanille don't start that, you know that I'll follow you wherever you decide to go. I just want you to make sure that your ready for what we might face…" Fang sighed again, she never should have let Lightning go. She knew in her heart that Vanille would follow. Yet how could she have stopped the soldier? Lightning had it in her mind that it was the best thing to do, that leaving would protect them all. Once her mind was made up, there was no changing it.

"Fang, I _love her…_" Vanille whispered, letting a teardrop escape from its barricades and roll down her cheek. Something that had happened a lot lately.

"This mad idea that she can protect me. It isn't fair for her to go alone. It might be crazy, we might not find her. We might not be able to out run this damned focus and I might become a Cie'th trying… but I have to try…"

Fang closed the gap in-between them at Vanille's words. She grabbed the younger girl and pulled her into a gentle embrace. She had never heard Vanille speak with such meaning, all this running away from fate, all of this fighting, the bloodshed; the emotions…

They had changed her, in a few short weeks. Vanille had really grown up.

"You're not becoming a Cie'th, I wont let that happen." Fang whispered, kissing the top of her head gently. She squeezed the younger girl tighter, reassuring her that everything would be alright.

"Ahem…" Snow cleared is throat as he walked towards the two women. Stretching out, he placed his hands together behind his head and tensed up his stomach muscles, beefing out his chest.

"I think Vanille's right. We should go after her, I made a promise to Lightning. I promised that we would go and see Serah together. Right now, I'm breaking that promise; and I don't do that." he whipped his fists together quickly and Fang rolled her eyes, she never did understand why he did that, it made him look no manlier at all.

"Fighting for Serah, it will be easier with Light here." Hope said gently. He had re-appeared when he realised that the shouting had died down some; sensing it was safer to come out now.

"The kids right." Sazh spoke up, stretching his tired limbs and raising himself off the floor. "That soldier, she's tougher than any of us. If anyone can do this solo it's her." he looked up at the sky with a sigh, before continuing.

"Helping out can't hurt though…"

"Yeah, sis needs our help." Snow said, cracking his knuckles.

Vanille pulled back from Fangs hug gently. She smiled up at the older Pulsian, wiping the tears from her face. No more crying, she had to be strong. For Lightning, for Serah. For the rest of them.

"Alright then…" Fang whispered, her mind made up. She knew Vanille would go with or without her, her calling was too strong. She wasn't about to see Vanille get hurt because of it.

"We can try."

Vanille grinned harder at her words, Fang wanted to help just as much as she did. The younger girl knew it was killing her that Lightning had left to start with, that she hadn't been able to stop all of this. Now she had a chance to make things right.

"One problem." Sazh shrugged, catching everyone's attention. "How are we going to catch her up?"

Vanille looked back down at the floor, she had been thinking that herself.

"Ah, there we have it. A problem." Fang smiled, winking at the red-head.

"Why are you happy about it?" Snow said quickly, annoyed that he hadn't pointed that one out.

"Because, I… have wings." she plunged her hand into her Sari, pulling out Bahamut's crystal. She threw it into the air, and as always, Bahamut swooped down , landing neatly in front of them.

"Ooh, good thinking!" Vanille giggled. They would cover a lot of ground this way. It might attract some unnecessary attention, but it would be the fastest way to travel. Fang grinned at her guardian proudly. Trust Bahamut to get them all out of a sticky situation.

Again.

"Come on. You ready?" Vanille asked excitedly. She was going to find Lightning, _her_ Lightning. Trying was better than sitting here and if anyone could find her, she was sure she could.

"Alrighy, let's go!" Snow joked, walking towards the oversized dragon-looking creature, he jumped backwards as Bahamut growled, instantly feeling uneasy. He never did like this Eidolon, it had that look in it's eye.

"Come on now. It wont bite cha!" Hope pushed him forwards and Snow responded by giving the boy a slap on the back, causing him to stumble.

Fang looked on with a strange grin on her face. Everyone's spirits were raised. They all felt better when they had something to aim for, no matter how impossible the task seemed. It took their minds of the real reason they were here, from what they were running from.

As she watched Vanille step towards their transportation; she couldn't help but notice that the spring had returned to the young girls step. Even if this was a mental idea, that reaching Orphans Cradle alive was near as damned impossible.

It was always good, to see her happy again.

* * *

**A.N**

**Alrighy! It's done. I wanted to leave the end of this chapter on a lighter note, as the next few are going to get pretty intense. I'm sorry if this chapter felt a little rushed, I was at a horse sales and my train got delayed. I was going to post up both chapters today but due to unforeseen circumstances, again I'm sorry, I'll be updating my other story tomorrow! **

**Thanks for reading! **


	35. Into the Fire

**Hi There! **

**Sorry that this update is a little later than I first planned. My life has been a little bit manic these past few weeks! Anyway, as per usual, thanks to everyone that read and reviewed the last chapter and all. It's always nice to recieve your feedback. **

**Anyway, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! **

**XX**

* * *

"Why. Wont. You. Just. DIE!" Lightning panted out her sentence as her gunblade savagely struck against the right foreleg of the still-standing Adamantoise.

No matter how hard she seemed to strike the beast, it's legs just would not crumble. She had already figured out that the best line of attack would be to force the over-sized tortoise to it's knees; that however, was easier said than done. With all it's mass, her weight seemed like a fly trying to take out a person. It just wasn't happening.

The soldier was beginning to get somewhat annoyed with it's stubbornness.

Arching backwards into a half clumsy back-flip, she tried to ignore just how much her usually steady knees were shaking. Her arms were weighing her down, heavy with the resistance of her weapon. She realised, for the first time; her gunblade was grasped firmly in two hands. Her agility all but drained.

She was aware of several slices through her skin, bits of rubble from the creatures Quake attack lodged underneath the skin of her arms and any other exposed areas. She tried to ignore the sting as she moved; the horrible sensation of her own blood dripping down her arms to the hilt of her sword. She didn't have time to even consider changing from offensive to defensive. If she was to relax down in the form of a medic, she would be in serious trouble. It was bad enough trying to keep herself in a steady Steelguard when the creature's massive foreleg came rushing down in front of her. Forcing the ground beneath her feet to rumble violently.

"Right." she whispered through gritted teeth, taking a step backwards.

She would have reached down to the last piece of energy she had to summon Odin had it not been for the fact his crystal still lay several metres away; redundant on the tarmac where her guardian had departed from battle. She hated to admit a weakness, but she needed some serious help. Now she knew exactly why they had avoided these monsters back on Gran Pulse.

The creature raised it's head menacingly and the pink-haired soldier cringed, knowing what was about to come her way. Placing her blade across her body, she prepared herself for the Quake attack that was about to storm through the ground before her.

The creature roared out a challenge and Lightning ground her teeth together, trying to focus on something other than the ringing in her ears. She was tempted to clasp her hands across them quickly, trying to block out the low-pitched growl.

She didn't get time to ponder what to do next, the roar ripped through the earth under her feet and she had to steady herself as the whole pavement shook her body. Her rubber-soled army boots gripped the ground tightly, desperately trying to keep her upright. She clasped onto her blade tighter, forcing some of the debris flying towards her away, or simply cutting it in half and cringing as it hit her skin. She gave a slight yelp as one piece of rock deflected off the sharp metal blade, striking her on the forearm.

She sighed as the ground stopped shaking beneath her, allowing her to regain some kind of balance. Lowering her weapon; she glanced down to the stinging patch on her arm, her eyes falling on a new trail of blood, mingling with the older; darker substance that already resided there.

"Tsk." she whispered, her eyes falling in the direction the fleeing sanctum soldier had taken. She looked with longing for a split second. Perhaps it would be easier to do the same? To just admit she was out-manned and flee?

She shook her head angrily, shaking the thoughts from her.

"Toughen up soldier! You don't run from a battle…" she growled to herself, surprised at how much she sounded like her old mentor, Amodar. It was true, she had never turned her back on a fight, no matter what the challenge; she wasn't about to start now. Not whilst she was still breathing.

At this moment in time, the pink-haired woman could have cursed her pride. The one emotion that constantly hindered her. She could deal with the sadness, with the pain, the grief. Pride however, was something she would always carry, deep down in her heart.

That and the completely uncharacteristic feeling of love…

She squinted her eyes, narrowing them at the monster before her. Seeing the challenge laid out before her should be spurring her on. She looked the creature in the eye, those dull orbs that held the presence of a beast, of a target. They reminded her of exactly why she was here, of exactly what she had sworn to accomplish.

Without knowing, she found herself gripping her blade tighter; a sudden burst of energy running through her. It was the familiar battle adrenaline that she relied on so much. The Adamantoise was perched right in between her and their final mission. In the way of everything she had sworn to protect, for her, for Vanille; for Serah.

Straightening up, she forced her feet forwards, aiming for the patch on the creature's foreleg where blood was already running. A well-timed Army of One should be good enough to eliminate at least the attacks from this side of the monster. Although it's hide was thicker than anything she could remember trying to hack through in the past. It was almost as if these monsters were built to never be defeated.

Not that it was going to phase her, not now her mind was completely made up.

She yelled out in anger and effort as her weapon swung forwards, the first stage in her powerful special attack. She felt the power run down her shoulders and through her forearms, forcing her hands to tighten on her gunblade. Striking again, she ignored the sparks that flew from her blade after clipping a link in the metal chain bound to the creatures leg. She was interrupted however, by the shock-wave the action sent through her body, knocking her backwards.

Stumbling a few steps back, she regained her balance, her attack completely halted. She looked up sharply, a shadow looming large above her. Her eyes widened as her body was engulfed in the shade, the sun temporarily blocked from her sight.

That's when she realised she had made a huge mistake. A rookie mistake.

She was too close, her attack had brought her almost underneath the Adamantoise, close enough for it's leg to be used for worse things than just pounding the ground. What happened next was a bit of a blur to the soldier. Springing forward, she realised in horror that it's massive hoof was going to come down before she could hurl herself clear of it's target area.

She was right underneath all it's tonnes of weight, with no escape route for her to pursue. Cringing, she flashed back to what had happened to Odin, how he had been simply squashed under it's weight.

That was about to be her…

She crouched down as it's foot came down, raising her blade to a point above her head. She knew that in itself was helpless. If the creature felt her there at all, it would be the same sensation a pin-prick would have felt to her skin. Hardly noticeable.

It was strange, but as the darkness descended upon her, as the force of it's movement created a breeze and lifted her pink-hair from her sweating forehead; she found herself closing her eyes and letting her mind wander. It wandered to the one place she wished she could be right now. With the one person she wanted to be with in those last few moments. Even more than she wanted her sister, which previously would have been impossible for her.

The truth was, She wanted _her._ She wanted Vanille. More than she had ever wanted anything before.

She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, ready for the crushing blow to land; ready for her world to go black…

"Hey! Soldier girl!"

A shout from above made her eyes fly open quickly, she was briefly very aware of her own pulse beating fast thorough her body, it's pace only quickened more as her eyes locked onto the source of the sound.

Giving a quick skip forward, her heart thumped loudly in her chest at the sight.

The familiar form of Bahamut swooped down low above her, it's riders all leaping off at the last second. She caught a glimpse of red hair before Bahamut dipped a wing and sharply plummeted towards the floor. Lightning didn't get a chance to see if they landed safely, instead she heard a muffled shout to her right, a voice that sounded very like Fang's. Then, something collided hard with her right side.

The force half-lifted her; throwing her several feet backwards, out of the way of the Adamantoise's descending foreleg. She didn't get a chance to try and regain a landing position before the tarmac was underneath her body. Bracing the best she could; she rolled upon landing, hearing a sickening crack as her ribcage hit the hard road surface. She suppressed a cry, a white-hot pain shooting down her side and through her limbs.

Laying dazed for a moment, she realised that her weapon had been knocked clear from her hands. She scanned the floor desperately, feeling suddenly exposed without it's weight in her arms.

She looked up at the monster when she couldn't spot it, grabbing the first glimpse of the people she had left behind mere hours ago. Starting forward, she made to shout out a warning; to tell her companions to get out of the way.

Her voice just wouldn't come and she realised that the air seemed to have leaked from her lungs; no doubt with the impact of hitting the floor.

Looking back up, she froze at the sight before her.

Bahamut circled the monster swiftly, his claws trailing down it's back. Lightning could see little trails of blood erupt from it's hide as the sharp claws managed to penetrate it's thick skin. The creature spun around, roaring out at the sudden attack.

Bahamut just seemed to be making it angrier.

She stumbled forwards, clutching her ribcage. She had to know that Vanille was safe, a sudden panic filled her chest. Her mind was fuzzy and her head pounded as an aftermath of being winded, from the lack of oxygen.

She looked on ahead, she caught a glimpse of Fang jumping skywards and landing gracefully on the back of a still flying Eidolon. Twirling her lance above her head, she egged Bahamut upwards, just above the top point of the creature's head.

"Vanille… Now!" she yelled and Lightning spun around in the direction she was aiming her words at. Her breathing caught even worse as she saw a familiar form walk forwards, away from the company of Sazh and Snow. They each ran towards a leg as she stepped out, directly in front of the creature. Lightning wanted to yell out in horror at her actions but still couldn't summon the words. Instead, she cursed herself as she was forced to watch from the sidelines.

Fang waited until Bahamut reached his target height and then launched herself from the Guardian's back, her lance held before her in mid-air. Descending quickly; she forced the weapon downwards, through a softer layer of skin on a weak-point Lightning herself hadn't considered.

The soldier watched as the boys quickly did the same to it's legs. Wavering for a moment, the huge monster roared out in pain, swaying forwards before crashing to the ground; shaking the earth underneath her feet.

Her own legs buckled under her as her knees gave way, scraping the pavement harshly. Kneeling down, she soon realised that she lacked the energy to rise back to her feet again. Instead, she curled her fists up in anticipation as the Adamantoise fell forwards, landing mere feet away from Vanille, who didn't even flinch.

Adjusting her position until she was sideways on, Vanille quickly mustered up a spell. Lightning couldn't quite make out what, instead her eyes focused on a strange black light hovering above the fallen creature. Dark lights swirled round and around before crashing downwards; striking the Adamantoise firmly in the chest. She watched on as the creature struggled for a moment, seemingly thrashing it's legs around aimlessly.

Then the creature fell silent, she watched as it's eyes rolled backwards in it's head and it slumped completely down; defeated.

Fang jumped gracefully from it's back, landing perfectly balanced on the hard tarmac road. The soldier breathed a sigh of relief, forgetting for a moment that they still had bigger things to worry about. Clutching her side tighter, she took in a deep breath. Wincing as her ribs moved awkwardly. She was just relieved to see Vanille was safe.

That they were all safe.

She knew what Vanille had done, from where she was stood; the death spell looked pretty impressive. Unfortunately, it was one of those spells that only worked on the odd occasion. She was just lucky Vanille had managed to summon the strength to call upon it. Fang weakening the beast first would have no doubt helped the situation.

Taking out an Adamantoise was harder than it looked, she knew that now.

If there was one thing that this fight had taught her, it was that she wasn't as invincible as she thought. Her pride had near as damned killed her and Vanille had just saved her skin, again.

She felt a sudden pang of guilt tighten in her body; she had left the young girl before her, yet here she was; hopelessly devoted to finding her again. That said, she had fully expected Vanille to try, she knew she would have done the same if roles had been reversed, she would have tried as hard as she possibly could and until there was no fight left in her. She hadn't however, expected the younger l'Cie to succeed.

Yet she had done it, Vanille had found her.

"Lightning!" the young red-headed l'Cie's voice rang pretty in her ears as Vanille rushed forward to greet her. She noticed the other girls words were laced with concern and she could imagine; as she knelt exhausted on the pavement, that she must have looked like complete hell.

Before she had the chance to try and scramble to her feet; even though she knew she wouldn't have managed it, Vanille had already reached her. Launching herself forwards, the younger girl threw herself clean into the soldiers arms, skidding to a halt herself.

Lightning smiled to herself, ignoring the pain that flared up through her entire body. For now, just sitting here; holding her, was enough.

She breathed in, taking in the familiar scent of her hair. Looping her arms around the other girl tightly, she closed her eyes; burying her head in the crook of her shoulder. She was faintly aware of another presence as the rest of the small group followed behind.

She knew she really should be speaking right now, trying to explain her actions.

The blissful moment however; was stopping her from doing just that. If she could have stayed here forever, she would have done; even with the pain.

Vanille however had different ideas.

"Don't you _ever _do that to me again…" she growled, pulling back from the embrace. Lightning was startled at the fierce compassion that the younger girl held in her voice, an emotion she didn't often see in soft little Vanille.

"I…"

"I mean it! Do you really think I could live without you?" Vanille continued on in her rant, her hands clasping Lightning's tightly in front of her. Kneeling down, the red-head faced the soldier; locking her eyes with Lightning's baby blues.

"Did you think you could just take off and that I would wait around and do nothing? Losing you… I…" Lightning could see that she was trying to be strong; she was trying to force down the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She was just never very good at hiding it from everyone.

There it was again. Guilt.

It was fast becoming a familiar feeling of the soldiers. In one short space of time, more thoughts were swirling around her head than she had ever known. It was only dulled down a little by the fact that Vanille was in fact alright.

Better than her right now anyway.

"Vanille…" she felt her own voice catch in her throat. Leaving her, being away from her even for such a small period of time had been one of the hardest things she had ever done.

"Come here…" she whispered, pulling the younger girl closer to her once again. Vanille returned the hug quickly, her sudden anger all but dissipated. How could she stay mad at Lightning for long? She knew the reasons behind her actions, even if she didn't agree with them.

"I… just couldn't bear to see you hurt. Not for me…" Lightning whispered, squeezing her tighter.

"I'm sorry…"

She rubbed the young girls back reassuringly, willing her to remove her arms from her waist. Truth be told, it was becoming slightly uncomfortable.

Vanille did so reluctantly.

"Just promise me…" Vanille whispered, tucking a stray strand of pink-hair behind the soldiers ear. She allowed her hand to linger there for a moment, tracing small circles across the soft skin of her cheek.

"I promise." Lightning assured her. She too reached up a hand and placed it on the top of Vanille's, smiling.

"Ahem!" Snow picked the opportune moment to clear his throat, looking awkwardly down on the two women. Both looked up, half-surprised that there was company here. They had both blanked out there for a few seconds.

"It's good to see you sis." he said goofily, raising his hand in a small wave. She nodded her response, as little as she wanted to admit it. It was good to see him too. Not just him either, all of them.

"What were you thinking soldier girl?" Sazh asked. Hope just stood silently behind, not wanting to interrupt anything. Besides, watching Lightning and Vanille together caused him to blush.

"Tsk." Lightning rolled her eyes. Well; she supposed she deserved their critique.

"Here." Vanille placed her hands down gently; summoning a cure spell to her fingertips. Lightning breathed a sigh of relief as she felt her superficial wounds heal up. Her ribs instantly feeling ten-times better. Her limbs still ached and a feeling of fatigue still graced her body; but the feeling was far less noticeable.

"Thanks." she said quickly, allowing herself to be pulled to her feet.

"So what now?" Hope asked, peering over Snow's shoulder. He looked behind him again quickly, very conscious of the fact they were stood in the middle of Eden's streets with monsters piling around them.

"Yeah, just what happened here?" Sazh asked, the little Chocobo chick raising up and poking it's head out of his large hair. Vanille smiled at the little bird, it always had a way of making her smile.

"Uh, that I can explain on the way." she answered, walking a few feet to her gunblade. It wasn't a conversation for here. She stretched down, releasing all of the tension from her aching muscles. She groaned under it's weight, but flipped it nimbly into it's holster despite the uncomfortable feeling.

"We still have to get to Orphan. All of Cocoon's gone to hell…" Fang said quickly, looking around at her native monsters wearily. She refrained from telling the soldier how reckless trying to take on an Adamantoise was. Right now, they had bigger things to worry about than Lightning's battle urges.

"Right, and we better get a move on. We're running out of time." she answered, taking Vanille's hand in hers and pulling her forwards. She made a mental note to grab Odin's crystal as she passed, her eyes fixing to the little pink stone.

"Out of the frying pan…" Sazh whispered as he dragged his older body forwards. Man, he was getting past all of this…These kids could run circles around him.

Hope rolled his eyes at the soldiers enthusiasm. She had just fought an Adamantoise, been thrown around like a rag-doll and nearly throttled by Vanille, yet somehow; she still found the energy to continue.

Deep down, he was secretly in awe at her determination.

Dragging his feet forwards, he stumbled after his companions; not wanting to get left behind in a place like this. Looking over his shoulder he glanced one last time at the beast they had just killed. A thought running through his head.

'Here we go again…'


	36. Calm Before the Storm

**Hey Guys. **

**I'm really sorry that it's taken me so long to get round to this next chapter. I seem to be really lagging with my writing recently. I'm determined to stick this story out though, and regrettably, this is the last chapter before a three-part ending. **

**It's come around suddenly for me too. I never even imagined that this tale would blossom into such a long story. I've loved every minute of it and you guys have been so loyal in driving me forward and making me really want to write. I think because of it, my writing style has changed so much over the past few years. For the better I hope. I will however, be continuing with my other stories so don't fret there!**

**Anyway, the journey isn't quite over, you still have three more chapters to look out for! So here's the next instalment. **

**Enjoy. **

**XX**

* * *

Orphans Cradle.

The beginning of the end. Everything they had been through so far, every struggle, every moment shared between them. It had all come down to this moment.

From the minute their feet graced Eden's hall, fate was weaving a path before them. Their entire future would be decided here, for better or worse. It was in the nervous echoes' of their heartbeat's that the small group stepped forward with confidence. Whatever happened here, they were in it together. For Cocoon, for themselves- for Serah.

The citizens of Cocoon stopped for a moment, their heads turning to survey such a strange sight. Whispers flew around them, some of which were said between gritted teeth or clenched hands. Snow looked over to a woman near him, her eyes widened in surprise. They had all seen the news reports, they had all been caught on camera at some point. Her eyes flicked to his forearm, to where he wore his brand so openly. He felt a flicker of self-consciousness at her stare. It was too late to cover it now, he would soon be depending on the sheer power of his l'Cie abilities. He turned his head away from the woman, flashing a brief look in Lightning's direction.

She marched on ahead with her usual swagger. Her stride lengthened just enough for her to be slightly ahead, the soldier fighting for her home planet, for her sister and for her future. Strangely though, he recognised that she had something just as important to fight for by her side. It was the very same reason he was here, fighting for his fiancé. Lightning wasn't just in this for herself.

She was here for love.

Each and everyone of them could see it. It was imprinted through her body, the way that Vanille was a mere foot away from her, almost close enough for Lightning's strange red cape to brush against her side as they walked. The expression of devotion the younger girl wore sent a shiver through Snow. It was what he saw every time he looked in the mirror, at himself.

Reaching into his pocket, Snow gripped the little tear-drop firmly in-between his fingers. Producing it, he studied it for one last time. The time was here and soon he wouldn't have to look at Serah's little tear for support. In fact, he would never have to see another from the love of his life. He had meant every word of what he said, he was closer to Serah than ever.

Hope walked proudly next to Snow.

Every set of eyes that was pinned to him had to squint at his smaller frame. No longer seeing the scared boy that had been broadcast on the news in Palumpolum. In fact, Hope was nothing like he used to be, not in mind anyway. Instead of a tear-drop, Hope's hand curled around his Eidolon crystal. Whenever he felt like giving up, that he was too weak to defend himself and his friends he just had to remember. Alexander was the power he possessed. He had the power to crush any enemy before him, deep inside.

The memory of his mother, the promise of his father, his future. That's what drove him.

Whatever might happen here, he could hold his head up high and say that he fought for his family. Not just his blood relatives, but for the companions that walked beside him. Lightning had shown him the way forward, from the moment he stumbled after her in the Vile Peaks, she had shown him that he needed no help to get to where he needed to be.

Walk he would- with no regrets.

It wasn't just Hope that had a memory to fight for. Sazh did too. Sazh had Dajh, his wonderful little boy to return to. Even though Dajh slumbered along with Serah, he was still alive, simply waiting for his father to return.

Sazh lengthened his stride, hopelessly devoted to his cause. He no longer thought of himself as a bad father, a failure of any kind or being too old to keep up with his companions. Sazh was the glue that held them all together, he was the driving force behind kind words and actions. Vanille's plea still rung around his ears. The way she had looked up at him with teary eyes, the plea of a child. He knew from that very moment that he could never pull the trigger. They were all l'Cie now, and mistakes of the past could be overlooked. He wasn't just here to get Dajh back, he was here to make sure they all made it through with no guilt to speak of.

He couldn't wait to see the young redheaded l'Cie's face when they were re-united with his son.

In response to his thoughts, his constant companion flew upwards our of his hair giving him a small 'Kweh'. The little Chocobo chick hovered for a moment before settling on the older man's shoulder and fluffing up it's feathers, ready to face the future with him. Perhaps when Dajh was freed, he would finally receive the name that he had been waiting so patiently for, the final seal on the end of a long journey.

Fang smiled at the little creature.

He reminded her of Pulse, wild and with a mind of it's own. Even though she strode out to the right of Lightning and Vanille resided on the solders left, she knew the reason she walked along with them. She was here for her family, for the girl that had been with her all her life. She was here for a promise of friendship, eternal company of the one girl she would give her life for.

Even through Lightning's devotion, Fang knew that Vanille was her main driving force. Glancing down at her brand, she admired it's scorched and twisted look. She was in no hurry, there was no danger for her. It would have been simple for her to stop in her tracks and give in, live the rest of her life carefree and independent.

But it would be no life without her. Without Vanille's smile to grace her everyday, life wouldn't be worth fighting for anyway. To hell with Cocoon, she would do whatever it took to see her safe, even if it really did mean tearing the planet to pieces. The power of Ragnarok still ran through her veins, ready and willing to be used. Even if she had to do it by herself. It pained her slightly that the girl she cared for so deeply had passed her heart to another. Even so, she'd rather Vanille be happy, alive and well with someone else but herself, than a Cie'th- She wasn't prepared to let that happen.

Neither was Vanille.

She had so much to fight for. Stepping out next to Lightning, it felt so right. She had to fight the urge to reach over and take the soldier's hand, wanting the contact. Lightning's hand however floated over the top of her gun-blade, without so much as a quiver. Vanille knew it was the soldiers way of preparing for the battle ahead, it was her way of making sure that her head was straight.

Vanille knew why Lightning was so determined. After everything they had been through, she knew that Lightning's feelings for her were just as strong as her own. The soldier's own happiness meant so much to her, that's why she strove forward.

All her past plans had all but dissipated from her head, all thought of running backwards and waiting out her time as a Cie'th now seemed so far away. She would follow Lightning to the ends of the earth and back again if that's what it took. Occasionally, she looked upon her being close to the soldier as a hindrance yet as time went on she could see that it was more of a help. Not only did she feel stronger around the pink-haired soldier, it gave Lightning something to fight for.

Sure, there was Serah, Lightning's one and only member of family. Vanille knew that Lightning would go to any length to see her sister returned, yet it seemed sometimes Lightning was chasing a shadow. A mere hope, a dream that her sister would awaken from crystal slumber. This was a final chance to free her, a final chance for Lightning to be happy. If for a brief moment, Vanille could help be a driving force towards that goal She would fight for it until her last breath.

Lightning paid little heed towards the people following her. Her eyes occasionally locked with the crowd, steady and strong. She was very aware at the sight that they must have been putting forward as they walked, some from Cocoon, some from Gran Pulse. All with a single mission. Now it didn't matter how her strange companions came to be by her side, it didn't matter what had happened between them in the past. They were with her now, stood strong. All ready to potentially give their lives for her and Serah.

That was something she would never forget.

She felt honoured to have her own personal army of l'Cie. What they had been through, it wasn't something that could just be brushed aside. Every single one of them had fought their weight in monsters, soldiers and even fal'Cie. They all had something to fight for, a reason for stepping into Orphan's Cradle. This was the final leg of the journey. Whether they succeeded or not, it would all happen here, under the shadow of Cocoon's provider.

She knew Barthandelus would be waiting, he would have taken refuge in the one place he so desperately wanted the l'Cie to gather. He would be waiting for his prophecy to come true, the l'Cie that destroyed the world. They were bringing the fight to his door, prophecy or not. Cocoon's rule could go to hell for all Lightning cared.

For the first time she allowed her feet to come to an abrupt halt, the rubber of her army-grade boots silently holding her steady. Carefully, she raised a hand to the people behind her, encouraging them to do the same. Before them stood a carefully constructed road of tiles, all blood red in colour. She knew it was a gateway, leading up to Orphans Cradle, centre point of Eden.

It was what surrounded the gateway that had her attention. Her eyes flicked backwards and forwards across little pieces of crystal, suddenly and silently floating up into the sky. She looked down, expecting the strange little snowflakes to hit the ground and remain motionless. She found herself a little puzzled however when they simply continued, gravity no ruling to them.

"What the -?" It was Sazh that spoke behind her, turning around she met everyone else's puzzled faces.

"Is that crystal?" Vanille asked, holding out her hand for a little flake to land on. She whipped it back quickly, seeming as though the strange material didn't rest at all, it simply continued on right through her touch.

"Whoa…" Fang whispered, bemused by the sight. However strange, she had to admit. It was beautiful.

"A sign or a warning?" Lightning whispered to herself, only loud enough for Vanille, who was stood the closest, to hear.

The young girl looked up at her with meaning, was Lightning worried?

"A sign, I'm sure." she whispered, taking a step closer to the soldier. If she didn't know better, she would have believed it was a sign form Serah, Dajh too, telling them to keep on going, keeping them motivated. It felt strange as she stood there, waiting for the crystal pieces to hit her skin and then them running straight through her.

"What ever it means, I've never seen anything like it." Lightning couldn't tear her eyes away from the sky, shimmering light reflecting in her baby blue pools. Vanille couldn't help but smile for just a moment. Right now, Lightning looked perfect. Her soldiers uniform was untidy, the white leather jacket she donned so well was now covered in battle marks and scuffs, her exposed legs boasted battle scars, her gun-blade had lost its shine completely. Yet to Vanille, Lightning couldn't have looked more perfect. Lightning never ceased to amaze the younger girl, every time she looked up at the soldier it was like she was looking at someone different.

There was always a new side to Lightning and when she thought she had finally seen it all, gotten her figured out, another side to her emerged. Even through her untidy clothes, the soldier's pink-hair still floated perfectly away from her face, highlighting just how beautiful the older woman was. Vanille didn't care if the end of the world was upon them now, one last moment with her was worth it all. She couldn't resist the urge to be closer to the soldier any longer, she just wanted a familiar contact with the woman she loved, even if it was just once more.

Walking forwards, she placed a careful hand on the other woman's stomach lightly, her small hand covering the hole in Lightning's coat. Her mind flashed back to when Lightning had saved her from the rogue fal'Cie, to just how close she had come to losing the older woman. She felt Lightning flinch slightly, too drawn in watching the floating crystal to recognise Vanille was there until she touched her. She quickly found Vanille's hand with her own, clasping her fingers around the other's tightly.

She looked down, forgetting the crystal for a minute. Everyone else was too caught up in its majestic quality to pay any heed to them anyway and even if they did, she didn't really mind. If time was to end, she wanted to be able to say she had this moment. No one could ever take that from her.

"Whatever happens…" she whispered, her voice quiet yet full of meaning. Vanille knew what she was about to say, it was words she didn't need to hear, simple words just couldn't express how much. She quickly raised her free hand to Lightning's lips, silencing her.

"I know." she whispered, smiling up at the soldier. "Me too."

Lightning paused for a moment, before removing Vanille's hand. She instantly missed the contact, so instead stooped down a caught a brief kiss from the younger girl. Even though it was fast, it backed up everything she so desperately wanted to say. It spoke a thousand works.

"It will be alright. You'll see." Vanille whispered, pulling herself away reluctantly. They needed to focus, here at the gates of Eden's highest tower, the building that would decide their future.

Lightning looked down for a minute, wanting time to just stand still. Whatever happened now, she would always remember this moment, the moment that Vanille truly held her heart and took it with her wherever she went.

"It will, as long as you're here." she said quietly, tucking a stray red-hair behind Vanille's ear. She then tore herself away, her eyes darting through the crystals to the rest of her companions. Something about them being here with her filled her with a little more strength.

Snow's devotion to Serah, Hope's courage for his father, Sazh's search for his son and even Fang's drive for Vanille. It all resounded in the air around her, it wasn't just her with a lot to lose.

"This is it." she said carefully, her voice half echoing across the space between them. Her tone was held steady and strong, the perfect address of a leader.

Everyone ceased their puzzled expression at the floating crystal to look over at Lightning, Vanille still held before her. Their gazes acknowledged their willingness to comply, their preparation all complete. Here and now, all or nothing, they would march into Orphan's Cradle with their heads held high.

Lightning nodded to them swiftly it was time.

She turned once more, back to the girl before her. She was aware of Vanille's hand resting beneath her own still, now across her heart. It's steady rhythm showing she was calmer than she felt. She looked down at the girl before her in seriousness, one more question unanswered.

"Are you ready?"

It was only at Vanille's answering nod that she felt the confidence to go on. Dropping her hand down, she still kept the red-headed l'Cie's clasped tightly by her side. They would go forward together, towards an uncertain future.

The fight for all things had finally begun- The darkness of Orphan's Cradle beckoned.

* * *

**A.N/ **

**Now I know some of you might think this little chapter was a little pointless. I now there wasn't much going on but I just wanted a little bit of a lead up to the finale and I feel that this chapter did just that. I wanted a chance for a little bit more romance before all of the action. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading. **


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